The Power of Love
by MousE0910
Summary: SEQUEL TO THE POWER OF FATE! Lost in the darkness, Rika grasps the only single thread of regret she has left. With everything taken from her, she struggles to obtain back the one she longs for. On indefinite hiatus!
1. Escape from Darkness

**_THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO _THE POWER OF FATE_! IF YOU DIDN'T READ IT, DO SO NOW!_**

* * *

_**Author's Note:**__ This first chapter is more like a short prologue than a true first chapter so don't expect too much from it. If you have some time to spare, please vote in the poll on my profile page. It would be a great help to me. Thanks. Now, without further ado, I hereby present you the first chapter of _The Power of Love.

* * *

**Escape from Darkness**

Darkness. The eternal darkness. Engulfing, overwhelming, consuming, blinding, crushing, devastating. And yet, the darkness offered a comfort. It was soothing. Calming, relieving, relaxing, reassuring; that was the world of Rika, the girl who suffered more than any other human before.

However, Rika didn't know about any of this. She didn't know anything. The girl once known as Rika was no more; her existence was trapped in a dark space where not even a tiny speck of light could seep through. It was a miracle that she still hadn't vanished. Rika's existence refused to give up and disappear. Her body and mind, along with everything else that made her human, has already ceased to exist long ago.

Still, Rika's existence remained, trapped in the vast space of darkness. There was still something Rika could not abandon. There was something very important that she left behind. Holding on this tiny thread, Rika started to form again.

She knew that she must never give up. Not yet.

Slowly, bit by bit Rika's mind developed again. However, the mind alone is not enough. Displaying huge willpower, Rika's body materialized. She was now whole.

Only one problem remained.

As the things were, Rika was nothing more than a lifeless doll. Rika's existence was not connected with the body and the mind. Finding her way through the darkness, Rika struggled on and on, trying to connect with her existence and making herself human once again. But as she wandered around, the connection between her body and mind grew weaker and weaker until it dissolved completely. With nothing to hold them together, Rika's mind and body ceased to exist one after another and everything was consumed by darkness again.

It was then, before her mind disappeared, that Rika realized that this was not the first time that she tried to recover herself from the darkness. She didn't remember how many times has she tried, but she was sure that the number is too high for her to count. And with this one last painful realization, Rika's mind vanished into the darkness. Only her existence remained, holding tightly onto the thread of regret, refusing to ever let go.

Once again, Rika tried to form herself. She focused everything she had on the thread. After what seemed like an eternity, Rika found herself drifting through the darkness; her mind, body and existence connected in a being called Rika Furude.

She finally succeeded. She has been reborn.

However, just as Rika felt relief at living again, the darkness started to assault her existence relentlessly. In a place that is devoid of everything, something like life cannot continue to be. Rika grew weaker and weaker with each second. She resisted, but in the end it was futile, as the attack of the darkness was ruthless.

Rika slowly started to accept her defeat when a flash of light cut through the darkness.

Suddenly, Rika found herself standing on something solid. Everything around her was white. The darkness was not there. Instead, she saw something that looked like a white human silhouette before her. It took her a while to realize that it is not a silhouette but something with a shape of human that was made from pure white. The only way the being could be recognized was thin outline of its body that seemed to be slightly darker shade of white.

Rika slowly approached the being but jumped back in surprise when the thing turned its head 180 degrees and grinned at her. Rika stood speechless before this spectacle. Before her mind could comprehend what is going on, the being spoke in a voice that sounded like a mixture of tens of thousands of various voices.

"You impress me, human. I have never before met anybody who was able to return from oblivion all by themselves, through sheer power of existence. I commend you.

"However, just regaining your body and mind is not going to be enough to get you back to the human world. The only way to get to the human world is through the gate. It is I who decides if a human is deemed worthy to pass through. You proved that there is no stopping of your desire. The regret you left in the human world must be very strong to help you recover. That alone makes you worthy.

"But…" The being made a pause and two big white eyes with tiny black dots in the center appeared on the thing's head, "there is one condition; in order to be allowed to pass, you must pay the ultimate price." The being's grin grew even wider, that it now covered more than half of its face. Then, slowly and quietly, the being stated the price.

Rika fell on the ground in awe as her mind tried to process all the things that happened. The being waited patiently until Rika made her mind up. When she looked at the thing, there was not a single hint of hesitation in her eyes. She raised herself from the ground and silently agreed to the condition with a slight but resolute nod. The being was clearly taken aback by her reaction, but soon regained its composure and its grin stretched on its face once again.

Without warning, the being jumped at Rika and there was a flash of light. Rika closed her eyes and expected the impact of the being but nothing came. Suddenly, she felt something like a light punch and her mind went blank. She could feel herself falling before losing her consciousness completely.

Rika opened her eyes with a surprised gasp. She was lying on the ground, feeling cold drops of rain on her back. Rika realized that she must have been lying on the ground for quite some time as she was completely drenched. She carefully stood up, still slightly dizzy and looked around.

She was in what seemed like a rose garden. There was a glorious mansion behind it and there was no doubt that it all belonged to somebody very wealthy. Rika's mind started to swirl with many questions. _What is this place? Where am I? What am I doing here? What happened?_

However, no matter what questions she pondered about, there was one single question, repeatedly appearing inside her head that made her sink into deep despair.

_Who am I?_


	2. The Miracle

**_Author's Notes: _**_Well, not much to say here. I just hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review ;-)_

* * *

**The Miracle**

Rika kneeled in the garden, ignoring the cold rain that mercilessly dropped on her. No matter how hard she tried to remember, she couldn't. Rika didn't understand how it was possible but she had no memory. She couldn't remember anything, not even her own name. It was like she was born into this world only a little while ago, completely blank and pure.

_Who am I? Why am I here? What happened? I don't understand! Nothing makes any sense!_

Rika let out a frustrated cry from her throat. No matter how hard she strained her mind, it was all completely useless. Her memory didn't return. Tears veiled up in her eyes and she slowly began to realize the cruel truth. Her life, a single Fragment she'd worked so hard for is gone, never to return. Somebody stole all her memories, robbing her of all the pleasant and painful experiences she had so far. However, that person didn't stop there. No, this wasn't enough for them. They had to take her own identity, her own name too. Everything is forever lost.

_Wait, what am I doing? Do I have the time to give in to despair right now? I must never give up. There's no way somebody can just take others' memories. There has to be a scientific explanation. I could have been drugged or I may have hit my head badly somewhere. Amnesia is said to happen in such cases. Think! Don't give up! No matter what, never give up!_

Rika herself wondered how she was able to calm her mind so quickly and come up with possible explanations. She was only 12 years old, yet her knowledge and way of thinking seemed way more mature. It was a strange sensation, but for some reason it filled Rika with hope. She slowly rose from the ground and examined the rose garden. It almost seemed perfect. It was obvious that somebody spent many, many hours arranging the garden, but the rain was already inflicting quite some damage. In the distance there was a mansion, its appearance menacing in the rain. There was no doubt that the mansion was owned by some ridiculously rich people.

Rika wandered through the rain, soaking wet. The rose garden was so unbelievably huge it completely swallowed the little girl. Rika decided to follow the line of roses. _It has to end sooner or later, _she thought. As she made her way along, a single rose caught her attention. Rika leaned closer to the rose and gasped in surprise. The rose was weathered, robbed of its shiny color. It was slightly bent compared to the other roses that encircled it. It was almost as though the other roses bullied the one weathered rose. It was a sad scene. But what caught Rika's attention the most was a candy wrap, tied on the rose. It seemed completely out of place. Rika was sure that it was someone's mark. But whose? And why? They couldn't think that they can still save this rose. Rika was no expert on flowers but she knew that the rose is dead. It weathered too much; there was no mistake about that. Yet the candy wrap indicated that somebody didn't want to forget this one rose. They wanted to save it. Who wrapped this here?

Just as Rika thought about who marked the rose, she heard hurried footsteps. She could hear the sound of water splashing from puddles as the person ran.

_Oh no! Somebody must have seen me. I'm sure this garden is off-limits. What am I going to do? I can't possibly say the truth. Nobody would believe me. How can I explain why am I here?_

Rika feared that some guard in a suit might be running to her, prepared to punish her for violating the precious rose garden of the wealthy family. Or maybe some butler or maid, trying to get her off the premises before she gets into even deeper trouble. Or, in the worst case scenario, it could be the owner of the mansion himself! She held her breath and turned around, as silently as she could. Rika was prepared to be scolded but she couldn't believe what she saw. Instead of a guard or butler, the person running to her was a little girl! The girl seemed to be in a hurry and was shouting something. However the little girl didn't see Rika. Rika wondered whether she should run or stay but before she could make her decision, but it was too late; the girl already spotted her. When the girl reached her destination, Rika opened her mouth to apologize but the girl didn't pay any attention to her. Instead, the girl leaned to the dead rose and started shouting.

"Uu… uuUuuuUuuuUuuu- Maria's rose! Maria's rose! Uu- UuuuUuuu!" The girl kept on screaming "UuUu" and "Maria's rose" over and over again. Rika stood dumbfounded next to the girl. She didn't get what was happening but one thing was sure now. It was this girl, whose name was apparently Maria, that marked the dead rose. As Maria stood there, crying and shouting about her rose, Rika felt very sorry for her.

Rika stretched her hand to the girl, trying to offer comfort in touch but stopped when Maria suddenly stopped crying and went completely silent. Rika wasn't sure what happened but it seemed that Maria has calmed down. Rika thought about all the possible explanations as Maria slowly turned around and faced her. Maria wasn't looking directly at Rika, she was looking at the ground. But somehow, Rika felt like she was being punctured by Maria's gaze. Then, without moving an inch, Maria let out a creepy laugh.

"Kihihihihihihihihihihihi."

"A-Are you alright?" Rika was totally confused with Maria's behavior. After all, it was only a while ago that she wailed at her rose, and now she was laughing.

"Beatrice sees it all. She knows everything. And soon, soon she will be here."

"What do you mean? What Beatrice? Is she the owner of the mansion?"

"Kihihihihihihihihi," Maria laughed creepily again, "Beatrice is the witch. She's an amazing witch! She can do anything with magic!"

Rika wanted to ask more questions but before she could she heard an undignified laughter behind her back. She slowly turned around and there was no question as to what she was seeing. The person standing before her was, without doubt, Beatrice, the witch! Her long dress complied with her hair tied in a tight bun and she truly looked like a magnificent witch. However, her face was twisted in a grimace that was nowhere near as magnificent as the rest of her appearance. It was almost like the face belonged to some other person. Rika fell on her back and stared at Beatrice. She felt a sense of danger from the witch, the means of which unknown to her. Before she could make any move, Beatrice cackled and spoke in arrogant manner.

"Hoh, what do we have here. Do you intend to interfere with the game personally this time, Lady Bernkastel? How unfair of you. After all, you're only a spectator. Do you think I would be dense enough no to be able to realize it's you when you take the form of this little girl?" Beatrice cackled again. "That's too bad. I won't let you do anything." Beatrice started to laugh and the world around shattered.

Suddenly, Rika was standing in a western style room with plain yet beautifully looking furniture. In the middle of the room, there was a small table with two chairs. Rika wasn't sure but it looked like there was a chessboard on the table. For a while Rika stared at the chessboard before she realized that there were people in the room. Right before her, sitting next to the table, a young man in a white dress looked at her. He looked to be around 18 years old but his expression looked much older. It looked like he went through many hardships that really left a scar on him. Then, much to Rika's shock, a flutter of golden butterflies engulfed the second chair. There was a flash of light and then there she was. The witch, Beatrice, was sitting in the chair that was empty mere seconds before. Rika could only stare at the spectacle before her eyes in disbelief. The witch and the young man briefly discussed something before focusing on the chessboard before them. Rika could guess that the short conversation was about her presence since the boy pointed at Rika while talking with the witch. Slowly, Rika came back to her senses. She carefully approached the couple and tugged on the boy's leg. "Umm… Could you please tell me where this is?" Rika was afraid of the witch so she tried to ask the boy for help but his reaction was completely different from what she expected.

"Stop bothering me, you damn witch! I don't know what your intentions are but I won't fall for such a trick. Not anymore. Ever since I made the mistake to trust Virgilia, I decided to never again rely on witches for help. And that includes you, Bernkastel. Leave me be, I have to solve this closed room!" the boy shouted before turning back to the chessboard. He frowned at the situation and ignored Rika completely. Beatrice exploded in a sea of laughter. It seemed the boy's outburst amused her greatly. "Just as I expected from you Battler; you have no mercy for witches, no matter what form do they take. It seems my North Wind and Sun strategy held some advantages for you too after all. This is just too much! The great witch Bernkastel scolded like a little girl by an adolescent boy!" A new wave of laughter came out of Beatrice's throat, pleased with her pun. The boy, whom she called Battler, sighed heavily. "Cut it out Beato. That laughter is too undignified."

Rika looked at Beatrice (who couldn't stop her laughing fit) and at Battler (who was looking at the chessboard with a frustrated face). She tried tugging on Battler's leg once again, the pull much weaker than before, but he just shrugged her off. Unable to catch anyone's attention, Rika felt a wave of hopelessness sweep her. She sunk on her knees and started crying. Tears flowed out from her eyes without stopping and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop it. Battler gave her a quick look and then turned back to the chessboard while muttering something about witches and tricks. Beato laughed and cackled even more than before.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light blinded the people in the room. When it disappeared, there was a young girl standing before them. She had short yellow hair that reached to her shoulders. Her clothes were rather childish for her age but she carried a similar sense of dignity as Beatrice did. There was no mistake; this person was also a mighty witch. Rika could see only blurry outlines through the tears but she was sure about that. The girl was a witch.

"Wow, you're sure having fun over here!" the girl laughed merrily. "Would you mind telling me what's so funny over here?"

"Lady Lambdadelta! What a surprise!" Beatrice let out several short giggles between the sentences. "I'm sorry for my appearance but I just can't help myself. It's too funny! Lady Bernkastel took on the form of a little girl and tried to win Battler's affection. His reaction was just priceless."

"Bern? What are you talking about?" The girl called Lambdadelta gave Beatrice a puzzled look.

"Over there." Beatrice pointed to Rika. "She's still trying to win Battler over with tears. I would have never thought that the great witch Bernkastel could put on such a great show!"

"That's impossible. I was with Bern the whole time. It couldn't have been her. It must be one of her pieces."

"No, no, no. It's Bernkastel for sure. She gives out exactly the same feeling as Bernkastel. Do you think that I, the Golden Witch, would be fooled by a mere piece?"

Lambdadelta frowned and focused her gaze on the crying Rika. After a while, she turned back to Beatrice, her face completely pale. Beatrice cackled loudly but once she saw Lambdadelta's expression, the smile froze on her face. "What's the matter, Lady Lambdadelta?"

"T-This is not possible. She feels exactly like Bern and yet, she is not her."

"What?" This time, it was Battler who responded. Apparently, he was watching the whole situation while pretending to think about the chessboard.

A shocked expression rose to Beatrice's face. "If she's not Bernkastel but she feels like her, who is she?

"I-I don't know. She must be—"

Before Lambdadelta could finish the sentence, another bright flash filled the room.

"Why did you run off like that Lambda? That's not fair."

The voice belonged to a dark-blue haired girl that appeared in the room. Her outfit was simple but once again, she gave out the same sense of dignity as Beatrice and Lambdadelta did. She had expressionless face but that soon changed into a scowl once she saw Lambdadelta and Beatrice. "Why are you spacing out like this? This is no fun."

It was only then that she noticed Rika crying on the floor. Bernkastel's eyes suddenly grew in shock as she recognized the little girl. "You… No, that's not possible. You cannot be here! I will not cease to exist!" Bernkastel's eyes burned in fiery rage. "I will kill you."

"Wait, Bern, what are you doing? I won't let you murder an innocent little girl." Lambdadelta stood before the girl, impulsively shielding her.

"Move." Bernkastel didn't even flinch as she made her way to Rika.

"I won't!" Lambdadelta spread her hands and a powerful force poured out against Bernkastel. "Not unless you explain yourself!"

The force shook the entire room. Windows started to crack and all the furniture flew away from Lambdadelta. Beatrice and Battler were flung against the wall but managed to crawl away behind a toppled table. "This is the power of Voyager witches," Beatrice whispered solemnly.

The force reached Bernkastel but it didn't slow her down. Her hair started to float around and a huge shockwave of power spread out from Bernkastel. It collided with Lambdadelta's power, and the walls in the room started to crack from the huge powers of the witches. Bernkastel finally stopped in her tracks. She tried to take another step but it was a vain struggle. Lambdadelta's powers had hers in a complete deadlock. She could not move forward, not even an inch.

"Stop getting in my way, Lambda, or I will crush you!" Bernkastel shouted angrily.

"Let's see you try!"

With an angry shout, both witches released all their powers against each other and the world around them crumbled.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

Rika cried on the floor in anguish when a bright flash of light filled her eyes. She heard some voices but she couldn't make them out. Unexpectedly, she was thrown back by a huge force and hit her head on the wall. She could feel her consciousness slowly fading. The world before her eyes gradually grew darker as the darkness finally engulfed her completely. Rika wandered through the dark, confused and scared.

_"Who are you?" _Rika could hear many, many voices but she didn't see any source.

"I-I don't know."

_"That's a lie."_

"No, it's not! I don't remember anything!"

_"That's a lie. Nobody can take your memories. They can take memories from one of us but not from all of us."_

"All of us?"

_"Yes. We are you. Who are you?" _The darkness faded and was replaced with a white light. Rika looked around and was startled to see little, blue haired girls all around her. They were all completely identical to her. Rika didn't understand anything of what she saw but it all felt natural and familiar to her.

"Who am I? I… I…" Rika slowly raised her head and looked up. "I am Rika Furude, the miko of Oyashiro-sama."

_"Yes. But you are more. Search. Search in us. Become whole again. She is waiting for us."_

"Who is waiting?"

_"You already know the answer. Look."_

A thread appeared from above. Its glow was faint, but Rika felt a warm aura emit from it.

_"Go ahead. Touch it."_

Rika did as the voices told her and touched the thread. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by scenes and feelings that weren't hers, yet she felt a strong connection to them. She saw a group of young kids, her friends whom she cared deeply about. Then there was image of a woman with droopy eyes and long, blond hair. Rika felt a wave of hatred and a need for vengeance. However, these feelings were quickly replaced by sense of safety and protection as the image of the woman transformed into a young policeman. Many, many different people and feelings came to Rika. They came quicker and quicker until they stopped on a single image of a lightly-blue haired girl with peculiar horns on her head. She stood in a strange world with crystals that were being shattered constantly all around. It was only after the girl spoke that Rika realized the whole truth.

"I love you… Rika." The image quickly gained distance from her until it was engulfed by darkness. Rika let out a strangled scream and tears dropped from her eyes. "…Hanyuu,"

All the Rikas around her screamed in pain, their voices sounding inhuman, and the light disappeared. Everything turned dark, into nothingness. However, Rika didn't fear darkness anymore. She remembered everything. Hanyuu sacrificed herself to allow Rika live on without the darkness in her. Now, Rika will sacrifice her new pure life to get Hanyuu back. The darkness slowly crawled around Rika, twisting and binding itself around her and she welcomed its deadly embrace.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

Beatrice and Battler crouched behind a fallen tree and watched the battle of the witches from a safe distance. Battler turned to Beatrice and gave her a puzzled look.

"What happened, Beato? One second, I see the world shattering and then we are here, all of a sudden!"

"I moved us all to the Golden Land in the last second. If I hadn't done that, we would be absorbed by the void of Fragments."

"This is the Golden Land? I thought you have to finish that epitaph to be able to get here. What's going on?"

"I'd rather not respond to that."

"What? Ah, whatever, that is not important now. Where's the girl?"

"She's still behind Lambdadelta but it looks like she lost consciousness."

"Wait, she's getting up."

"You're right but… something seems different."

"What do you mean?" Battler gave Beatrice a confused look. Then, he felt it. It was as if the girl was a different person. She looked like the girl from before but at the same time; she was not. There was something sinister about her. Battler frowned and muttered: "I don't like this."

Rika opened her eyes and saw a patch of dirt before her. It took her a little while to realize she was lying on the ground. Suddenly, Rika heard a loud, thunder-like noise. She slightly lifted her head and saw the girl in childish clothes standing with her arms spread, her back turned to Rika. She panted heavily and it looked like she was going to collapse any moment. Farther from them, a dark-blue haired girl was standing, also panting heavily. Rika slowly rose to her feet, her head still tilted towards the ground. She giggled, slowly and creepily. Rika stretched her hand and unleashed the darkness.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

Lambdadelta had to use all her might to be able to stand after Bernkastel's brutal attack. Fortunately for her, all the counter-attack defense measures she took paid off. It was clear that Bernkastel took as much damage as she did. Lambdadelta had no idea why Bernkastel wanted to kill the girl but she was completely sure that won't happen as long as she is breathing.

But there was one thing that bothered her. The girl closely resembled Bernkastel and what's more, she had the exact same _feeling_. There was no chance that Lambdadelta could mistake the feeling of Bernkastel. They have been together in many, many situations. She knew everything about Bernkastel. Her behavior, her joys, her pains, her intimate scent… Lambdadelta knew it all. And that's what bothered her. The girl was in a way Bernkastel and yet, she wasn't. This now might be her chance. They were both weakened. If she manages to reason with Bernkastel, she may get to the core of the mystery. That's what she thought. That's what she hoped for.

But before she had any chance to try, she felt a cold, mortifying touch on her legs. She tried to turn but she couldn't. Her body refused to move. It felt like the hand of Death itself. Lambdadelta could do nothing else but let out a terrified scream as she was lifted from the ground by a dark force and smashed heavily into the wall. The impact was strong enough to completely crush a normal human completely, but Lambdadelta was no mere human. Although she felt drained, she managed to lessen the impact. However, it was still brutal. As Lambdadelta was smacked into the wall, she could feel bones in her body snap as she watched the wall collapse.

"Lambda!" Bernkastel shouted but it was too late. Lambdadelta was completely buried under the remains of the wall.

"Don't you love it?" Strange, almost surreal voice called out. Bernkastel quickly turned her head back and saw Rika standing there, clouds of darkness encircling her small body.

"Don't you love the sound of bones shattering? Don't you love the sight of innocent blood splattering on the walls? Don't you love the dying screams of helpless people? Of course you do. You are a part of me after all." This time, Bernkastel was sure, the voice was Rika's... No. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the voice came from her mouth but wasn't entirely hers. There was something very sinister in the voice, but that didn't trouble Bernkastel too much. What terrified her was the little girl standing before her. With or without any power, she presented the greatest threat to Bernkastel, just by her mere existence.

That's why she has to eliminate her. As long as she lives on, Bernkastel will never reach the end of her journey. But that's fine, that's what she wanted. After all, Voyager witches are most happy when they can wander around Fragments for eternity. The last thing a Voyager witch would want is to meet her Creator. Bernkastel knew the truth. Creator witches do not exist. That's just a legend for Endless witches so they can have false hope of becoming a Creator sometime.

There are only two types of witches; Endless witches and Voyager witches. Both are born from human yet they are not alike. An Endless witch is a human who understands magic. Anybody can become an Endless witch. On the other hand, Voyager witches can be born only from individuals of unique willpower. It is very rare for such people to exist and live long enough to create a Voyager witch. What's even more astounding is that Rika managed to do so while being only 9 years old.

However, Bernkastel knew it was nothing impressive at all. Rika repeated her life in a cycle over and over. In total, she lived for many thousands of years. If she had lesser potential, she would surely be one of the Endless witches. While Voyager witches have respect for their Creators, they also greatly fear them. The reason of this fear stems from one single knowledge they possess when they are created. Voyager witches have the freedom to travel from Fragment to Fragment but the end of the journey is inevitable for every single one of them. Every Voyager witch is destined to meet her Creator and become one again once she reaches the end of the journey. However, there's no telling how long the Voyager witch's journey will last. She may be able to visit hundreds of thousand Fragments but she may also meet her end before even moving out of the Fragment she was born with. It would be foolish to think that a Voyager witch could outlast her Creator. Time means nothing in the sea of Fragments. The lifespan of the Creator is always greater than the length of Voyager's journey. There's no hope for Voyager witches to survive after they reach the end. There's no escape. Most Voyagers just accept their fate once it comes and become assimilated into their Creator painlessly. However, some witches try to fight. Even though they know it's futile, they fight. They simply cannot simply accept death. They believe that if a Voyager witch creates a miracle and manages to kill her Creator, she will be free. Bernkastel is the Witch of Miracles. She can create a miracle. She can do it. She can be free.

"I will kill you!" Bernkastel charged at Rika summoning all her powers along the way. The battle with Lambdadelta left her in weakened state but she was still a formidable foe. She spent the whole time since her creation practicing for this day. Bernkastel released all restrictions. The ground shook and pieces of debris flied everywhere. Cracks started to appear in the air.

Battler and Beatrice stared in shock, unable to fully comprehend the monstrous power before them. Battler turned to Beato with a worried look.

"What's going on? You told me that the Golden Land can hold even the full power of all 72 demons of Hell but there are those weird cracks again!"

"I don't understand it either."

"Watch out!" Battler shouted as a huge shockwave hit them.

Bernkastel quickly covered the distance to Rika. She expected her to dodge, run, evade, and maybe even block the blow, but Rika just stood there motionless. It almost looked like she is inviting the blow. Bernkastel didn't understand but there was no time to think about that. This is probably the only chance she would get to create a miracle. She _will_ create a miracle, she has to! She has to do it for the only person she truly loves. A bright image of a cute young girl in childish clothes flashed through Bernkastel's mind. A single tear dropped from Bern's eye as she unleashed all her power against Rika from point-blank range. She felt her hands cut through flesh and blood splattered all over her.

Bernkastel fell on the ground, completely exhausted. Her vision started to darken but she didn't allow herself to lose consciousness. She managed to scramble up on her knees. A satisfied smile spread on Bernkastel's face when she saw the damage she has done. Rika lay before her on the ground, covered in blood. Although Rika was lying on her face, Bernkastel saw that half of her head was blasted off and her brain was completely smashed. There was a huge hole in the middle of her torso with fresh blood pouring from it; among the blood were scattered remains of what once were intestines. However, Bernkastel didn't stop there. The attack was so fierce that Rika's body didn't yet realize the full scale of the attack. Suddenly, a bright flash emitted from Rika and exploded. When the smoke dissipated, only the upper torso remained. Rika's legs were nowhere to be found.

Bernkastel crawled on the ground to the point where Lambda landed. She tried to use her powers to remove the debris but she was too exhausted. Even so, Bernkastel didn't give up and started to throw away the debris using her bare hands. The debris was sharp and Bernkastel quickly cut her hands but that didn't matter to her. She has to save Lambdadelta quickly. Finally, after many, many pieces of debris cleared Bernkastel finally saw Lambdadelta's face. Apart from a few bruises, it was clean. Lambdadelta looked like a sleeping angel. Bernkastel let out a sigh of relief but screamed in horror when she saw the state of Lambdadelta's body. She quickly threw away all the remaining debris and carried Lambdadelta out on the flat ground. She was bleeding profusely and her body was twisted in an unnatural position. Bernkastel touched Lambdadelta's wrist and was relieved to find out that she still had a pulse. As long as a witch's heart is beating, a witch cannot die.

"I'm so glad Lambda. I'm so glad." Bernkastel collapsed on Lambdadelta, happy that they both survived. "I did it Lambda, I created a miracle. Now we can finally be free! The journey is over."

Bernkastel started to close her eyes when a dark creepy surreal laugh resounded through the Golden Land.


	3. The Beginning of the Journey

**The Beginning of the Journey**

Her mind was blank. She didn't feel anything anymore. The pain long ago exceeded her limit. It may be better this way. She doesn't have anything left. She no longer had any will to live. She longed for the finishing blow to end this seemingly eternal torture. She wanted to cry but she couldn't. Her eyes were missing. She wanted to shout but she couldn't. Her tongue was missing. She wanted to wail on the ground in agony but she couldn't. Her limbs were missing. She couldn't do anything but wait for the last strike that would put her out of her misery. She felt the flame of her life hissing out. In the last few seconds of her remaining life, she remembered all the nice memories she had with _her_. A slight smile stretched on her lips. _Bern, I'll be going ahead. I'll be waiting for you. Forever._

Bernkastel couldn't believe it. At first, she thought it was just her imagination but this false hope was quickly destroyed. Even though Rika had half of her torso missing, a huge hole in the place where her heart should be and half of her head was blown off, even with all this damage, she survived. It was beyond Bernkastel's comprehension. It should not be possible but there she was, lying in a pool of her own blood and guts, giggling. Over and over, Rika giggled, each time more intensely and louder. Bernkastel looked in shock as faint glow emitted from the bottom of Rika's upper body and her legs slowly appeared. It was impossible, but it was happening. Bernkastel was sure that even a witch would be killed with this. Rika slowly raised herself from the floor as the wounds on her chest and head started to close and heal completely. Rika's giggling slowly transformed into maniacal laughter as the faint glow disappeared along with all the damage Bernkastel had done. If it weren't for all the blood that remained on Rika, one would never be able to tell she was ever injured. Rika quickly jerked her head upwards and pierced Bernkastel with her gaze, grinning madly. "That was fun!" Rika's shout echoed several times in the complete silence.

"W-W-What—" Bernkastel could barely speak; her throat dry from pure terror. This girl… This little girl that has taken enough damage to kill any living witch or demon stood before her, laughing about having her head smashed. Bernkastel's mind was a mess.

_She survived. All that damage and she doesn't have a scratch on her. Even more, she laughs at this. She laughs at my pathetic attempt to change my fate. She laughs at me. It was fun for her. Who is she? Who am I? What's happening? I don't know anymore._

Bernkastel's eyes lost their color as her mind broke. Nothing mattered anymore. She didn't care about anything. Looks like the only choice left is to hope that everything ends quickly.

Rika suddenly stopped laughing but the wide grin on her face remained. Rika's gaze once again fell directly on Bernkastel and tilted her head slightly. She stuck out her tongue and licked the blood around her mouth, savoring the taste before finally swallowing it. "Mmm. Delicious. Thank you for giving me such a treat. Let me repay the favor. Is your blood also tasty?" Darkness erupted from Rika's body, twisting and dancing around her.

Bernkastel felt her feet leaving the ground. She felt a blow in her abdomen, as if a huge invisible fist hit her, and flew through the air before hitting a wall hard enough to force her to vomit. However, she could not bend over. She was pinned on the wall by a strong force and couldn't move. She started to cough and choke but fortunately, managed to get most of it out. Her throat burned greatly.

Rika slid through the air to Bernkastel, laughing in satisfaction. "Awesome! Awesome! Suffer more!" Bernkastel felt another blow in her abdomen and vomited yet again, accompanied by Rika's laughter. "You're probably wondering-" Rika used her powers to punch Bernkastel again. "-how I survived. How is it possible-" And again. "-that your miracle failed. The truth is-" Again. "-you did kill me. However, you killed only my body and one of my spirits." Yet another blow. Bernkastel's stomach was empty already but she still felt some liquid filling her mouth. Only after spitting it out and looking below herself she realized it was blood. "Every world I lived in, I died. My body died but my spirit…" Another strong punch. "My spirit survived in my next body in the next world, along with all the spirits of the worlds before. In order to destroy me, you would have to kill me over and over until all my spirits are gone. However, that is impossible for you." Rika threw her strongest blow yet, accompanied with a vile laugh. The wall behind Bernkastel cracked and almost shattered. This time, Bernkastel fell down from the wall, the mysterious force pinning her to the wall gone. She clutched her stomach tightly and coughed droplets of the crimson liquid. Her whole mouth felt incredibly dry but Bernkastel didn't pay that any notice. She only wished for a quick death.

"Just… Kill… Me…" Every word started a new wave of pain in her throat. Suddenly, Rika's grin disappeared and was replaced first by an expression of disgust, then with one of anger. "What is this? You're no fun! Kill you? Just like that? Who do you think you are?" Rika kicked Bernkastel over and over in blind rage. "I'll make you suffer. You will not have a merciful death. You lost that chance." Rika stopped in her assault and kneeled down. She lightly touched Bernkastel's forehead. "What are you most afraid of? What are your greatest fears? Show me!" In that instant, Bernkastel felt a strange sensation, one not on of a physical origin. An unpleasant feeling spread through her mind. She felt violated, exploited. Her most inner thoughts and feelings were forcefully accessed and mercilessly defiled by a cruel intruder. Not a single emotion would remain hidden. The unpleasant feelings, the dark beast that ravaged her mind dug deeper and deeper, each thought more intimate and private than the previous. Bernkastel's vision grew darker and darker as layers of her mind broke, one after another. The only thing keeping her sane was a sole emotion, hidden in the deepest pits of her mind. Her most treasured feeling, the one she protects the most. That single element of world, her forbidden fruit. No matter how exposed her thoughts were, this emotion protected and shielded her from everything. It was only because of this that she was able to endure it all. Bernkastel knew she has to fight or it will all be exposed. She channeled all her focus into pushing the invader back. "Get out of my head!" Bernkastel shouted in a desperate attempt to prevent her secret from being known. She felt the dark presence back off a little but soon, it crept back into her mind and tore through directly to the center. However, this thoughtless assault left the attacker exposed. It was only a glimpse but Bernkastel could clearly see the inside of Rika's mind. What she saw there sent cold shivers down her spine. Darkness everywhere. This was not a normal human mind. It was pure darkness. The only present emotions were of bloodlust and intent to murder. Strangely though, Bernkastel also felt slight traces of sadness and compassion. She has never seen anything similar in all her years as a Voyager witch. Suddenly, she was back in her body, looking at bewildered Rika. "Who are you…?"

Almost like those words snapped Rika out of her confusion, she turned to Bernkastel. "I found out your little secret. Quite the feelings you are harboring for her." Rika's face showed a cruel smile but that quickly disappeared from her face, replaced by an emotionless expression. "Let's play a game." Rika said in a completely dead-pan voice, completely different from the mocking tone she used before. "I'm going to torture you. Slowly, painfully. I'm going to enjoy it a lot. Now, here's the catch. If you manage to endure it all without making any sound, I'll let her go. If you don't, I'll kill her. It's simple right?" Without giving Bernkastel a chance to respond, Rika used her powers to pin her to a nearby wall, her arms and legs spread wide. A blade materialized itself in the palm of her hand. She placed it on her wrists and slowly, deliberately cut until blood poured all over the blade. She went to Bernkastel and lifted the blood-covered blade high into the air. "The game begins."

For more than a thousandth time, the air was cut with a swift movement, followed by gushing blood. Over and over, again and again, the blade mercilessly cut and slashed. Bernkastel's body could no longer be differentiated from her clothes or the wall behind her. Everything was drenched in crimson. Bernkastel's ordeal was unbearable but no matter what has been done to her, not a single sound escaped her lips. Although she was unbelievably suffering, she dedicated all of her will into staying silent. Bernkastel vowed to endure this torture until the very end, for _her_ sake. As she wondered how long is it going to take, she realized that the cutting has stopped a while ago. She slowly forced her eyes to open and looked at her torturer. Much to her surprise, Rika was gripping the hilt of the knife tightly, the blade pressed against her forehead. She had her eyes closed and it almost looked like she is praying. After a while, Rika let out a deep sigh and looked at Bernkastel while letting the blade slip from her hand. The impact of the knife on the floor echoed in the empty space. Rika's eyes were empty and she didn't show any trace of bloodlust and murderous intent. The best word for Rika's mood that Bernkastel could think of was boredom. A spark of hope lighted up inside her. Maybe she grew tired of all this and this nightmare will finally end. She felt a sense of relief and something that may have been happiness. Bernkastel wasn't sure how it is possible she can be happy at times like this but then she realized. It was because of _her. _It was because she managed to save her life that she was this happy.

"I'm finished." Rika's voice brought Bernkastel back into reality. Bernkastel felt a cold shiver travel down her spine when she looked in Rika's eyes. They were completely black. Her eyes were no longer human. They were of a solid color. Because of this, Bernkastel wasn't sure where is Rika looking. It may have been directly on her but it may have been in a completely different direction. Bernkastel suddenly heard a moan from her left side. She slowly turned her head, groaning in pain as she did. Her vision focused on the only person that kept her alive, the person that was unconscious until now. Unfortunately, the moan didn't go unnoticed by Rika who now shifted her attention to the newly-conscious **(A/N: Does this word make any sense?)** Lambdadelta. Lambda put one hand on her hand and groaned as she lifted herself on her hands. All wounds that were on her body has already healed but she was still shaken. "What happened? My head is killing me." Lambda crawled forward a bit but stopped when she noticed someone standing before her. She lifted her head and looked directly at Rika who now had a cruel smile on her face. "How nice of you to join us. I hope you can entertain me a bit more before you die." Bernkastel twitched and started shouting: "I didn't let out any sound! You said you are going to let her live! I passed your game! You promised you are not going to kill her!"

Rika turned around and her dreadful gaze stopped on Bernkastel's terrified face. Without showing any emotions, in a completely neutral tone, Rika calmly uttered two words that sent Bernkastel to deep despair: "I lied."

"What is going on here?" Lambdadelta shrieked when she saw the state Bernkastel was in. She looked alternatively on the blood-covered Bernkastel and Rika, who was standing completely still. A quick glance on Rika's hands and the blade lying on the floor led her to a horrifying conclusion. "What have you done to her? You monster! You will pay for this!" Lambda turned all her rage against the little girl who was still calmly looking at Bernkastel, not paying any heed to Lambdadelta's threats. Lambdadelta started to collect energy for a powerful strike, her power augmented by her anger. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll—"

"Silence." Without turning around, Rika silently whispered. At the same time Rika whispered, Lambdadelta felt something warm fill her mouth, followed by unbelievable pain. She quickly spat out the contents of her mouth. Her eyes grew in shock as she saw her own tongue fall down on the ground in a sea of blood. In sudden surge of adrenaline, Lambdadelta started running towards Rika but suddenly fell on her face hard. She turned around and saw that her legs were disconnected from her body. Even so, she didn't give up and used her arms to crawl towards Rika. It was a pathetic attempt. She was not any threat but Rika was merciless. Lambdadelta barely moved a few inches when she lost the feeling in her arms and saw them falling off from her body as well. Now nothing but a mutilated torso, Lambdadelta could do nothing more than glare at her enemy. However, that was not the end. She felt her eyes burning more and more until she heard a bubbling sound and, with a sudden burst, she lost her vision.

She no longer had any will to live. She longed for the finishing blow to end this seemingly eternal torture. She wanted to cry but she couldn't. Her eyes were missing. She wanted to shout but she couldn't. Her tongue was missing. She wanted to wail on the ground in agony but she couldn't. Her limbs were missing. She couldn't do anything but wait for the last strike that would put her out of her misery. She heard Bernkastel's voice calling out her name over and over but it sounded distant. Time seemed to stop for Lambdadelta. _This is it. This is the end for me. _A slight smile stretched on her lips. _Bern, I'll be going ahead. I'll be waiting for you. Forever._

Bernkastel watched in horror as Rika mercilessly attacked Lambdadelta. Tears filled her eyes and she cursed herself for not being stronger. If she was stronger, she could have easily killed Rika before any of this happened. However, because of her own stubbornness and belief that explanations are not necessary, she got into a fight with Lambda that ended fatally for both of them. _What have I done? Attacking her just because she shielded Rika… I should have explained everything. I panicked; I had to kill her before she had any chance to react but… I'm just lying to myself. I made a terrible mistake and now we have to pay the price._

Rika picked the knife from the floor and raised it high into the air, prepared to stab down on Lambdadelta. Bernkastel could not shed any tears anymore but she continued to cry. Her eyes burned and her whole body was in agony but she didn't feel any of that. For now, all her world consisted of was the scene before her eyes. Bernkastel watched on, unable to do anything as Rika's hand moved down with the knife on Lambdadelta. Everything seemed to slow down. Bernkastel's breath has stopped as the knife neared to Lambdadelta's heart. She used all her might, ignoring any pain to shout out to her. Hearing was now the only thing left to her. Bernkastel shouted as loud as she could. "Lambda!"

A bright flash cut through the room and Rika's hand stopped only few inches from Lambdadelta. Several droplets of blood fell on Lambdadelta and the knife made a ringing sound as it slid from Rika's hand on the ground. Bernkastel looked in disbelief on the big occult-like stake that pierced Rika's heart. It was an unbelievable sight. A mysterious voice shouted towards Rika. "I'm not sure who you are but I'll stop you now." Bernkastel turned her head to the right to see the person but a bolt of pain blackened out her vision temporarily.

Rika coughed up blood and wavered but kept on standing. "This… is not enough to stop me." She crouched to pick the knife but before she could do so, another flash appeared and a second occult stake buried itself deep inside Rika's chest, this time piercing her lungs. Rika staggered but kept on reaching for the blade. One after another, five more occult stakes pierced Rika, each one accompanied by a bright flash of light. Four of them pierced her limbs and the fifth one flew right into Rika's eye, almost puncturing her skull. Even after this unbelievable barrage, Rika was still standing but it was clear to see that she struggled to do so. Blood dripped a little from the points where the stakes entered her body but they effectively functioned as plugs that didn't let the blood flow out.

The pain finally weakened enough for Bernkastel to open her eyes and look at their savior. She could almost shout in joy when she saw Beatrice standing there with a confident look on her face. Her clothes were a bit dusty and a trickle of blood flowed on the side of her head but she looked as magnificent and dignified as ever. Beatrice waved her pipe and a bunch of golden butterflies appeared in the air. They fluttered around a bit before finally settling down before Beatrice. She waved her pipe again and the butterflies started to glow brighter and brighter each second until they were completely enveloped in a golden light. When the light dispersed, there were many goats in suits. "Goat attendants! There is your prey!" Beatrice shouted while pointing in Rika's direction. Immediately, as one huge creature, the goats started to move. They walked slowly but steadily, like a well-organized army. Bernkastel watched it all but she knew this will not be nearly enough to stop Rika. She tried to shout and warn Beatrice but the pain was too great. She couldn't make any sound, no matter how hard she tried. Bernkastel grew increasingly frustrated at her own helplessness when she noticed that Beatrice had her eyes closed, arms crossed on her body and silently recited what seemed to be an incantation. Bernkastel tried to recognize the words by looking at Beatrice's lips. Fortunately for her, the incantation was rather simple but soon Bernkastel realized that this incantation is only meant to focus and channel power as well as raise protective barriers for the caster. That could mean only one thing – Beatrice was preparing to unleash some very high-level magic. Soon, the incantations will grow more and more complex. She was sure she wouldn't be able to keep up with them but she should be able to recognize the spell using the necessary symbols. And just like Bernkastel expected, Beatrice suddenly opened her eyes and changed her incantation, now chanting much more quickly. She started to draw lines and symbols in the air before her with her pipe, each stroke leaving a golden trail in the air. Bernkastel focused on the symbols and her mouth opened wide in shock. At first she thought that she saw the symbols wrong but quickly dismissed that thought. There was no mistake as to what she saw. However, if that spell was really the true thing, it would mean that Beatrice is way more powerful than Lambdadelta and Bernkastel combined at their peak. It was crazy to think that an Endless witch could be stronger than a Voyager witch but Bernkastel knew of only one person who could perform this spell. The Great Demon of Hell, the ruler of all demons and other infernal beings. For and Endless witch to reach this level of power was something unthinkable. That spell was the ultimate magic known. There are only two records in history of it being used, mainly because of two reasons. First, no one other than The Great Demon of Hell was capable of using this magic. Second, the only times it was used were during the Nullth War, when forces of Heaven and Hell fought for supremacy. Such a magic was the stuff of legends and was the maximum level any magic-user could hope to achieve. And now, it was happening right before her own eyes. Bernkastel now understood why Beatrice summoned all the goat attendants instead of greater demons. They took significantly less effort to summon and with their zombie-like characteristics they can buy her enough time to finish the spell. For the first time from her defeat, Bernkastel felt that achieving a miracle is possible once again.

The goats slowly closed in on Rika who tried to back away but her movement was seriously restricted by the stakes in her legs and arms. She grunted in displeasure and tore the stakes from her body. As each one popped out and fell to the ground, the blood in the wound changed into black smoke and the wound quickly mended itself. By the time the last stake was removed from her body, she was completely healed. Rika glared angrily at the army of goat coming her way and shot a black arrow from the palm of her hand. The arrow flew in a straight line and pierced five of the goats who were standing in a row. They fell to the ground where they dispersed in a flutter of golden butterflies. However, they were quickly replaced by the goats behind them and the advance of the goats continued uninterrupted. Rika cursed and stretched her palm once again but before she could shoot any more black arrows, something caught the corner of her eye. She quickly turned and shot the arrow after the movement but she was far too slow. One of the stakes that she pulled out from her body was bouncing lively around the room like it was alive. Before Rika could react in any way, the stake flew at incredible speed and directly pierced Rika's forehead, the impact almost causing her to fall down. The other six stakes flew around and settled themselves in front of Rika. A bunch of golden butterflies that appeared out of nowhere swarmed the stakes. A bright light enveloped them and when it disappeared, six young girls were standing in the places of the stakes. They all had cruel and mocking expressions on their faces. They were wearing a strange and rather revealing uniform and because of that, they were recognizable only by their faces and their hair.

"Hey Nee-sama, that's not fair! Leave something for us too!"

"You're always hogging the prey to yourself!"

"I want to eat something! I'm hungry!"

"Do you always think only about food?"

"She's cute! I can't wait to bury myself in her again!"  
"Be quiet! You're being a disgrace to out master!"

"""""Yes! Nee-sama!"""""

Rika pulled out the stake in her forehead and threw it with a great force to the other sister. Just like all the wounds before, the hole in her head started to close with a black smoke. The stake flipped through the air several times before landing on the ground. As soon as the stake touched the ground, several golden butterflies appeared as well and the stake transformed into a seventh girl with long, black hair. From the way the other sisters spoke to her, this was the oldest sister and their leader. Rika gritted her teeth in frustration. "Who the hell are you?"

"""""""We are the Seven Stakes of Purgatory! We fulfill all and every wish of our master!"""""""

The sisters' voice ringed in unison, echoing throughout the Golden Land. Rika didn't waste any time and stretched both of her hands before herself. She shot several high-speed balls of energy from the palm of her hands but as fast as it was, the sisters were quicker. By the time the first attack reached the seven sisters, they were long gone. Changing their form back to a stake, they bounced around the room in playful manner, giggling and laughing. Rika turned around but their movement was too quick. Rika only caught just a glance before the stake disappeared somewhere. "Now sisters, play time is over!" A voice belonging to the black-haired girl reached Rika's ears and once again, the other sister replied at exactly same time. Immediately after speaking, the stakes' speed grew increasingly faster. If Rika could barely keep up with them before, she was utterly helpless now. She saw a slight flicker and a stake flew around her, scratching her face a little. Over and over, the stakes flew on Rika, only to scratch her and continue bouncing around the room. Their constant giggles and laughs made it clear they were only teasing Rika. As she turned around, trying to catch up with at least one of the stakes, Rika didn't notice the goats swarming her until it was too late. She formed a black arrow in the palm of her hand but before she could unleash it, a stake stormed down with incredible force, pinning her hand to the floor. It was quickly followed by the other stakes that impaled her remaining limbs and both of her eyes. Unable to move or see anything, Rika wriggled and struggled on the ground, hearing the boots of the goat attendants rumbling as they marched on as one man. She soon felt claws and teeth dig in to her flesh. The goats crawled onto Rika and tore chunks of flesh from her using their strong teeth. Blood poured and gushed around wildly as more and more goats climbed on Rika, her little body completely covered by goat bodies.

Bernkastel looked in amazement as Rika was completely overwhelmed by the goat army. However, her joy was cut short when she heard a creepy giggle from the center of the goat horde. A dark flame engulfed the all the goats and Bernkastel smelled burnt meat. The goats shrieked with inhuman voices in agony as one after another succumbed to the black fire. Bernkastel heard several screams and saw the seven sisters running out their uniforms, hair and skin burning. They ran around wildly, screaming and trying to remove the flames from her bodies, before falling to the ground and changing into several golden butterflies. It was only after the last butterfly disappeared that the black flames surrounding Rika hissed out. Rika stood in the center, unharmed and undamaged. However, her appearance has dramatically changed. Her dark blue hair changed color to black so dark that it seemed to suck in all the light around her. Rika's clothes disappeared from her body and the only thing covering her exposed body was twirling black smoke that left only her head uncovered. Her whole skin turned pale that she looked like made from porcelain. A terrifying aura emitted all around her, an aura so vile and thick it literally raised Rika's hair in the air. It now fluttered behind her in a way similar to how hair flutter when a person is running. However, Rika was standing completely still. She let out a growl that sounded more beast-like than human. Bernkastel felt a sense of dread so strong that she never thought it possible. The thing she was looking at no longer had anything to do with human or demon. It was something much more vile and abominable. Bernkastel struggled to remove herself from the wall but the force pinning her down was too strong. Beatrice was almost finished with her incantation but as things were, she would not have enough time. Bernkastel focused all her power but it was all in vain. Her invisible restrains didn't budge at all. She gulped and summoned her voice to warn Beatrice before the impeding danger. "Watch out!" Beatrice opened her eyes and looked at Rika who was now standing before her, smiling. Rika stretched her hand to Beatrice and shot a black lightning. It traveled at even greater speed than the Seven Stakes of Purgatory but to Bernkastel, everything seemed like in slow-motion. She watched in horror as the dark bolt made its way directly to the heart of the person she put all her hopes in. She could clearly see every inch that the bolt cut through the air, closing in on its target. Beatrice closed her eyes and screamed in reflex as she saw the instrument of her death shortening the distance.

Suddenly, Bernkastel heard a sizzle and the bolt disintegrated. Beatrice opened her eyed and gasped in surprise as her view on Rika was blocked by the back of a young man in white suit. The spell drawings in the air before Beatrice wavered a bit. The man spoke to her without turning around: "Continue whatever you were doing. Leave this to me." Beatrice blushed slightly. "B-Battler…" She quickly focused back on the spell and recited as fast as she could. Rika grunted in displeasure and quickly unleashed another bolt, this time aiming in straight line for both Battler's and Beatrice's hearts. However, before the bolt could hit Battler, it encountered an invisible wall and disappeared with a hissing sound. Battler looked directly into Rika's eyes and grinned confidently. "Sorry but this is not going to work. I acknowledge neither you nor your magic. This is our world, where you have to play by our rules."

Rika's face distorted in an ugly grimace. His words didn't make any sense to her. However, such a thing didn't matter. She just has to crush this troublesome cockroach. The dark smoke encircling Rika started to rotate around her quicker and quicker. Rika's eyes started to glow in black color. She stretched both of her palms towards Battler and started to shoot various projectiles from them. An enormous barrage of ethereal weapons homed in on Battler at amazing speed but Battler didn't appear to be fazed by this. His eyes calmly watched Rika as she furiously shot more and more dark weapons. Rika watched as the volley of shots flew closer and closer to Battler. She expected him try and block them or somehow evade them but Battler stood completely still, his eyes focused on Rika. It was almost like he didn't notice her attack. The wall of projectiles finally reached Battler and they all exploded at once, covering the spot where Battler stood with dust and black fire. A satisfied grin rose to Rika's face. Suddenly, a bright red flash cut through the room, clearing all of the dust and flames. Battler was on the exact same place like before, pointing at Rika with his hand. When he spoke, red letters of what he said flew around him.

**r You are a witch. I deny both your existence and your magic. If you wish to use magic, make me acknowledge it using the red truth. Those are the rules. r**

A transparent red wall flickered in front of Battler, shielding him from any further attacks.

Rika gritted her teeth in displeasure. Not being able to kill a mere human because of some red truth was incredibly vexing. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. She giggled slightly and then burst into a laugh. Battler raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Rika's sudden outburst. "What's so funny?" He knew that when dealing with witches he needs to be on guard at all times.

Rika's laughing fit gradually calmed down. She looked at Battler and smiled like a little kid that gets a candy. "This is really amusing. What an interesting obstacle. Sure, I'll play by the rules." Rika giggled again.

"What's so damn funny?" Battler had no idea what to expect. A cold drops of sweat formed on the base of his neck.

Rika showed Battler a warm smile, completely unfitting her image. "It's just that—" Black letters appeared around Rika, repeating exactly what she said just like red letters appeared around Battler before. **b I like to cheat. b**

Rika's smile suddenly disappeared and she shot a black bolt from her palm. It quickly covered the distance between Rika and Battler and slammed into the red barrier. Battler screamed in surprise as the red wall suddenly shattered like glass. His only means of defense gone, Battler had no way to block the black bolt that was now mere inches from his heart. He tried to dodge to the side but he knew it was too late. There was no way he could make it. Battler felt an impact to his chest that knocked him to the ground but surprisingly, it didn't pierce him. He saw the black bolt suddenly changing its course and slamming into nearby wall. At the same time, a big occult stake flew on the opposite side than the bolt. It rotated in the air several times, glowed a golden color and transformed into the oldest sister of the stakes. She smashed into a wall with her back and slid to the ground. Her skin was horribly burnt, almost black on some places and blood gushed out from several ruptures on her skin. Even with all this damage, she remained conscious as she crawled to the wall and leaned on it for support. She looked at Battler, wincing in pain with each word. "I… managed it… on time… It looks like… my legs… they're broken… Now… it's all up to you… Beatrice-sama…" The eldest sister slowly closed her eyes and slipped into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.

Rika howled in a beast-like voice. "Why! WHY! Why does something always interfere?" Rika watched with angry stare Battler stand back up. He knocked off the dust on his shoulders with his hand and took a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm still alive. Thanks, Nee-chan. You really saved me." Battler took a quick glance at the oldest sister before focusing back on Rika. Suddenly, he heard Beatrice whisper into his ear. "I'm ready. I'll be counting on you to get her guard down." Because of all that happened, Battler completely forgot that Beatrice was chanting some spell behind him and so was startled slightly at how close Beatrice's voice sounded but he managed to keep his cool. He nodded his head slightly as a sign he heard her. Battler stretched himself a bit and then confronted Rika with a stare. He slowly pointed a finger at her and spoke in a calm manner. "Tell me, who are you, really? What is it that you want?" He was desperately trying to buy time and find an opening. Battler was sure it will be seen through but it seemed like Rika didn't notice his stalling. Or maybe she did notice but didn't consider him a threat. Well, either way, this was her grave mistake. Rika started to walk slowly towards Battler, speaking in a cold voice. "What I want? It's simple. I want to slaughter you all. I want to torture you and make you suffer before finally killing you. That is all I desire."

"But why? You're just a little girl, lost in a world that is not yours. Don't you have any friends you want to get back to?"

Battler's random attack hit Rika spot-on. "F-Friends?" She stopped in her tracks and hesitated. Battler knew there won't be another chance like this. He jumped to the side so that Beatrice would have a clear view and shouted. "Beato, do it now!"

"Got it!" Beatrice finally released the spell she has been preparing for so long. She locked on Rika and unleashed it. A semi-transparent cluster of golden sparks without any solid form appeared before Beatrice and shot towards Rika. The whole world shook around as the tremendous power manifested itself. It began to travel towards Rika who now had a surprised expression on her face. The sudden attack caught her completely off guard but she managed to prevent herself from panicking. Quickly calculating the distance, Rika tried to dodge but she soon noticed it's futile. Now that the spell is locked on her, there's no way it could miss. It homed in on her with pinpoint precision. One thing Rika knew for sure – if that thing hits her, she is done for, no matter how much lives and souls she may have. Rika desperately raised one barrier after another but the spell broke through all of them easily without losing any of its speed. She tried to use her own attacks to break the clutter but she may have as well be throwing pebbles at it. The spell was unstoppable, truly an ultimate magic. Running out of options, Rika started to panic and scream wildly. At that time, Battler thought she looked just like a little girl who saw a big, ugly spider. However, looks can be deceiving and Battler was well aware of this. He knew what a monster she really is so he felt no sympathy for her but he didn't feel any joy either. He was sad for the life that is going to end but he was happy that he was able to prevent further suffering. He watched solemnly as all the golden sparks reached Rika, circling around her. They danced and flew all around her, glowing brighter and brighter. They shined so much that Battler and Beatrice had to look away. Bernkastel had no way of turning her head so she could only close her eyes but even so, the light was burning strongly, threatening to damage her eyes. Suddenly, huge flames of darkness burst through the light, consuming everything around but the light didn't dim but expanded itself, almost like absorbing the darkness. The black fire started to hiss out and soon, the whole Golden Land was filled with bright light. Bernkastel felt the invisible force pinning her to the wall disappear and she fell to the ground. The impact on her damaged body was horrible and made blood gush again from her wounds but it was nothing she couldn't handle.

As the light slowly disappeared, Battler could finally see Rika again. Something looking like steam was rising from her skin, which was no longer pale but regained its natural color. Gone was all the black smoke surrounding her, as was the color of her hair and eyes. Rika had her original clothes back on again and she looked perfectly normal in every conceivable way. Normal from the physical standpoint, at least. She stood without moving even a little bit. Her mouth was slightly open, almost like she silently whispered for help. Battler, Beatrice and Bernkastel watched in silence. Nothing happened at first but soon, Rika's legs stopped supporting her and she fell to the ground like a puppet that has its strings cut. It was only then that Battler realized that life has long left Rika's eyes. Just like that, Rika became nothing more than a lifeless doll. A body without a soul. A container without life. It was all so sudden and compared to everything that happened before, the silence felt really strange. Battler turned around vigilantly when he heard someone scuttle behind his back but quickly relaxed when he saw Beatrice's face mere inches from his own. She stretched a bit, almost looking like she wanted to kiss Battler but she soon realized what she is doing and pulled back a bit. She showed a friendly smile to Battler and asked in a timid voice. "It's all over now, isn't it?"

Battler replied to her smile with one of his own. "Yeah. It's all over. This nightmare has ended."


	4. Interchapter 00

_**A/N:** So I finally got myself to continue writing this fic. If you read this chapter before, read it again as it now contains a great deal more than before. I hope you like the story so far and will continue to like it. Please review, would you kindly?_

* * *

**Interchapter 00**

Battler sighed heavily and looked at the three witches standing around him. Bernkastel was tightly but gently hugging Lambdadelta from behind, leaning her head on Lambdadelta's shoulder. Beatrice was leaning on the wall, smoking her pipe calmly. If he didn't know better, he would think that all this was only the witches' joke. He still didn't fully believe, or understood, their explanation. Battler scratched the back of his head and stretched himself before speaking: "All right then, can we go through it all once again? I'm not entirely sure if I caught it all."  
Bernkastel rolled her eyes and made a mocking face. "Are you that stupid? Can't you understand a simple explanation?"  
Beatrice cackled at Bernkastel's words. "Come on, Lady Bernkastel. There's no way Battler could understand your explanation since he doesn't know anything about the world of witches."  
Lambdadelta shook herself uncomfortably and turned her head to Bernkastel. "Bern, could you let me go already?"  
"No way. I'm too worried about you."  
Lambdadelta puffed her cheeks and pretended to be mad but she was actually happy to hear Bernkastel say those words. Bernkastel giggled at Lambdadelta's childish behavior.  
"This is why I like you." Hearing those words made Lambdadelta blush rather furiously and she was desperately trying to hide it. Bernkastel turned her attention back to Battler.  
"Very well, then. I'll explain it slowly, one thing at a time, so pay attention, okay?" Battler nodded firmly and Bernkastel started explaining.

"Are you familiar with the concept of witch titles?"  
"Not really."  
"I'll start from there, then."  
"Please do."  
"Every witch has her own title, or ranking, if you will. For example, Beatrice here is an Endless Witch while I and Lambda are Voyager Witches. Except for these two titles, there's one another, a Creator Witch."  
"Wait a second, isn't Beato also the Golden Witch?"  
"That's her unique witch title; it's unrelated to those 'ranking titles' I told you before. Every witch has a unique title that gets passed on to any disciple, if there is any. As you said, Beatrice is the Golden Witch. I am the Witch of Miracles and Lambda is the Witch of Certainty."  
"I think I get it. So, how do these 'ranking titles' relate to what happened?"  
"Don't be so impatient. I'm taking it slow because of you so show some appreciation. Among the lesser witches and demons, it goes like this: Endless Witch is the lowest rank that any witch holds in the beginning. Only witch apprentices hold even lower rank. Endless Witches can endlessly destroy and repair things. With enough study, practice and experience, an Endless Witch can become a Voyager Witch. A Voyager witch is a witch that is able to travel between Fragments. It is said that Voyager Witches are on a journey without a set end but at this end of the journey, the Voyager Witch becomes a Creator Witch. A Creator Witch is the highest ranking witch, one that can create something from nothing."  
Beatrice interrupted Bernkastel with a wave of her pipe. "Wait a second. I heard that Voyager Witches fear the end of their journey and want to travel forever. Why is that? Shouldn't they look forward to becoming Creator Witches?"  
Bernkastel's expression darkened. "That's because the explanation I just gave is far from truth. This is what various demons and lesser witches believe. The real truth is far more sinister."  
"What? So you're saying this entire concept about witch rankings is actually not true?" Battler asked.  
"That's right. There are actually only two types of witches: Endless and Voyager. However, that doesn't mean Creators don't exist. They do exist but they're not Witches at all. Endless Witch is a human that understood magic. Anybody can become an Endless Witch with enough time and studies. However, such a witch can exist only within the Fragment she was born in and only under specific circumstances. That's why Beatrice—"  
Beatrice made a loud throat-clearing cough. "Now, Lady Bernkastel. I'm sure Battler doesn't need to understand this part about Endless Witches."  
"Very well. I'll skip this part for you."  
Battler grumbled unhappily but kept quiet as Bernkastel continued.  
"Now, I mentioned Voyager Witches and Creators. Those are closely tied-in. A Voyager Witch is born from human will. When humans with exceptionally strong will are born and find themselves in a very emotional situation, they may create a Voyager Witch. That marks those humans as Creators."  
"Then… that part about Voyager witches becoming Creators at the end of their journey doesn't make sense, does it?"  
"That's right. Actually, at the end of the journey a Voyager Witch meets her Creator and becomes assimilated."  
"I see. So that's how the Voyager Witch 'becomes' Creator and it also explains their fear. That makes sense." Beato nodded her head knowingly.  
"And how exactly does this girl relate to all of this? Don't tell me that…"  
Bernkastel hung her head and whispered solemnly. "She was my Creator."

Lambdadelta patted Bernkastel on her head and tried to comfort her. "You managed to beat her, didn't you? You, the Witch of Miracles accomplished this miracle. You did the unbelievable. A Voyager Witch defeating her Creator." She smiled warmly at Bernkastel. "Cheer up a little, right?" However, her words had the exactly opposite effect of what she intended.  
"What miracle? Miracles don't exist. There's only probability. I'm the Witch of Miracles because I know these probabilities. The probability of her death was 0%. Nobody can beat 0%. If it was even only 0.000001%, I could have created a miracle. I can't do anything with 0%. Yet, I attacked her. I knew there is no chance but I still tried to fight, even when you stood in my way. I thought that I just need to kill her and explain it to you later. I made a terrible mistake and you had to suffer horribly for it. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."  
Bernkastel clutched herself and sobbed quietly while whispering 'I'm sorry.' over and over again. Lambdadelta embraced Bernkastel and glanced quickly at Battler and Beatrice. The meaning of the look was clear: 'Please leave us alone for now.' Battler motioned to Beatrice and they both hurried off.

Battler made his way to Rika's body, squatted down and closed her eyes. Beatrice scurried after him. "Why did you do that?"  
"Out of respect for the dead."  
Beatrice made a disgusted face. "Respect? For that monster? You did see what has she done, right? Bernkastel is known as the cruelest witch of all and even she was shocked."  
"No matter what she did, she still deserves some minimal amount of respect. Everybody does."  
Beatrice chuckled disdainfully and calmly smoked her pipe. "Whatever."  
Battler whispered a quick prayer and stood back up, giving Beatrice an angry scowl.

Battler faced Beatrice and just as he started to scold her, Lambdadelta appeared in between them.  
Both Battler and Beatrice twitched in surprise at her sudden and unexpected appearance. It was Beatrice who regained her composure first and asked the question that weighed heavily on everyone's hearts. "How's Bernkastel? She was pretty down, wasn't she?"  
"She's… um…. sleeping now. She couldn't calm down so I used a charm to put her asleep for now."  
Battler scratched his head and gave Lambdadelta a puzzled look. "I don't get it. From all I understand, she should be happy, celebrating her victory. Yet, she's behaving like she has already lost."  
A shadow fell over Lambdadelta's face. "It's true that this is our victory. It's just that it seems too good to be true. A Voyager Witch defeating her Creator – that is something unthinkable. Bern still cannot believe it, deep down and it pains her. She fears that Rika will stand up again. Her mind's a mess. The strain put on her was just too great. She broke."  
Battler didn't notice Lambdadelta's watery eyes and continued with his questions.  
"That reminds me – you're a Voyager Witch too, aren't you? Shouldn't you also be concerned with your Creator?"  
"I… am a special case." Lambdadelta said in a wavering voice. "I don't have a Creator. Not like Bernkastel."  
She sobbed a little but neither Battler nor Beatrice noticed.  
"You don't have a Creator? But that doesn't make sense."  
"I know but… the oldest memory I have is of me waking up next to Bernkastel. I have no idea about my Creator nor do I feel any link to any Creator like Bernkastel does. She became my guardian. My friend, my lover." Lambdadelta whispered the last words in a voice that didn't reach their ears.  
"Speaking of Bernkastel; how is she? Will she be alright?" Battler asked nonchalantly, not realizing how much the question hurt Lambdadelta.  
Lambdadelta bit her lips and trembled. Finally, after a long pause, she let out a silent whisper. "…broken."  
"What did you say? I couldn't hear it." Battler asked, still completely oblivious to Lambdadelta's feelings.  
Lambdadelta clutched her fists and unnoticeable a trickle of blood appeared on her hand.  
"I said, she is broken! She is lost and it's all my fault!" Suddenly, Lambdadelta shouted at Battler who was taken aback by her unexpected reaction. "There, are you happy now?" Lambdadelta cried, unable to hold back her tears anymore.  
Battler stood speechless, staring at Lambdadelta with a puzzled look on his face. "I-I was just…"  
He felt a tug on his sleeve and when he turned, he saw Beatrice wiggling her head slowly.  
Understanding her message, Battler left Lambdadelta alone and made his way towards the spot where they have last seen Bernkastel.

She indeed seemed like she was sleeping, lying on the floor, but something seemed strange. Battler noticed it first and turned to Beatrice. "Hey, doesn't this strike you as odd?"  
"What do you mean?" Beatrice asked confusedly but before Battler could respond, she noticed it too. Bernkastel's eyes were wide open but they didn't have any signs of life in them.  
"Poor thing." Battler sighed as he ducked to Bernkastel and closed her eyes as he did with Rika before. When Beatrice saw Battler's act, she turned pale and whispered: "What are you doing? You don't think she is dead, do you?"  
"No but she deserves some peace."  
Battler's explanation didn't calm Beatrice down completely but she seemed content for the time being. However, what Battler didn't get was the reason Beatrice cared so much about Bernkastel's life. He decided not to push the issue. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream cut through the air. Both Battler and Bernkastel tensed and started running to the source of the scream without thinking. After running for a short while, they bumped into Lambdadelta who ran in the opposite direction than they did. She didn't seem to pay them any attention until Battler grabbed her by the arm and spun her around so she was facing him.  
"What is happening? Was it you who screamed?"  
"She… She…" Lambdadelta furiously shook Battler's hand off and dashed off in Bernkastel's way, screaming in terror.  
Beatrice started to run again but stopped when she noticed that Battler is not moving.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I fear I know what made Lambdadelta scream like that."  
"You don't mean…"  
Battler shook his head and took off. "We'll find out soon enough."

As they neared the scene, everything was clear. "As I suspected…" Battler whispered silently to Beatrice as they slowed down from running into sneaking. Before them, on the very same place where they left Rika's body, the girl was sitting on the ground. As much as they didn't want to believe it, the truth was clear. Rika was alive. Beatrice felt cold sweat running down her throat as she remained as silent as possible. Suddenly, they heard silent footsteps behind them. Beatrice let out a strangled scream as she turned around wildly, ready to fight. However, much to the surprise of both Battler and Beatrice, the one behind them wasn't Rika but Lambdadelta. Her face looked calm and resolute. As she approached Battler and Beatrice, she said only one sentence before continuing in Rika's direction. "Let's kill her."  
Beatrice tried to stop Lambdadelta from going any further but she was already gone. "Battler, come on!" Tugging on Battler's sleeve, Beatrice hurried after Lambdadelta. The three of them slowly approached Rika in hopes of dealing a fatal blow before she notices their presence. However, before they could approach closer than five meters, Rika slowly stood up and turned to face her visitors.

Beatrice and Lambdadelta both prepared some attack spells but Rika only stared at them silently. Slowly and carefully, the two witches circled around Rika, deciding where would be the best spot to attack from. Rika opened her mouth to say something and that was the signal. The witches charged towards Rika, preparing to deliver a fatal blow from point blank range but suddenly stopped when they heard Rika speak in a voice completely different than from before.  
"Mii~?" Rika exclaimed in a high-pitched voice that was fit for a girl of her age but totally unlike her voice when she fought them. The sudden change took them all aback and all their hostility vaporized in a second. Before any of them could make sense of the scene, Rika continued talking to no one in particular: "What is this place? How did I get here? Is this some kind of dream? I wonder where Satoko is…" Rika turned around and looked with wide eyes on the scenery around her. Her mouth was gaping in awe and she really looked like a stunned little girl.

Lambdadelta was the first one to snap out of her confusion. She quickly got her act together and analyzed the situation. Based on her previous experience, she could reach only one possible conclusion. She called out to Beatrice: "Don't get deceived! It's only an act! Attack!"  
At Lambdadelta's words, Beatrice quickly readied herself and faced Rika once again. It was only then that Rika noticed the people standing around her. She turned towards Beatrice and smiled warmly. "Excuse me, miss…" Rika suddenly stopped mid-sentence and shrieked in fear when she saw giant fireball coming her way. Beatrice didn't stop and conjured several more balls of various harmful substances and hurled them all towards Rika. On the other side of the Golden Land, Lambdadelta summoned several magical weapons herself. They were all projectile weapons from various ages, past and future. There were bows, pistols, cannons, missiles and even laser rifles. At the same time Beatrice launched her assault, she fired all her armaments at once. Lambda's projectiles and Beatrice's balls collided on Rika's position, resulting in a huge explosion that almost shook the two witches off their feet. Lambdadelta jumped in the air and yelled in joy: "Yay! We did it!"  
Beatrice grinned at Lambdadelta and happily smoked her pipe. However, their joy was short lived. From the explosion, they heard a hissing sound they all knew very well. Lambdadelta stopped in her cheering and shook in disbelief. "A magic barrier? But how?"  
However, even Lambdadelta's shock was nothing compared to how utterly shocked was Beatrice. "B-B-B-BATTLER?"

Battler stood right before Rika, who was cowering on the floor and crying. The red magical barrier that surrounded him didn't let through any magic attacks and was his only defense. The barrier of magic denial. It was a unique barrier that only Battler was capable of creating and no matter how great the magical attack, it would not be able to penetrate this barrier.'  
"What are you doing? Do you want to die? Get away from her quickly!" Beatrice shrieked hysterically but Battler only shrugged his shoulders.  
"It's useless, it's all useless." He grinned and pointed his finger at Beatrice. "This girl is not the same one as before!"  
At Battler's words, both Beatrice and Lambdadelta stopped gathering their energy for another attack. His words just didn't make any sense. Beatrice might think that Battler has gone mad but she has already learned and accepted his unique way of thinking. However, Lambdadelta knew nothing of Battler's logic and screamed at him: "Are you crazy or what? One look can tell you it's the same girl!" She launched several weak magical projectiles towards Battler but they all evaporated with a hissing sound as they hit Battler's barrier. Unshaken, Battler continued.  
"I wouldn't have figured this out if Beatrice hadn't told me about the spell she unleashed. It's all really quite simple. The spell Beato used was the ultimate magic available. There is no defense against it. If I remember correctly, the spell takes very existence of its target and traps it in the void of Fragments. Am I correct?" Battler turned towards Beatrice who nodded slightly.  
"Well, as we all could see, the spell was successful. However, right now, this girl is alive again. Why do you think that is?"  
"How should I know? She somehow returned back!" Lambdadelta was now quite furious at Battler for denying her the chance to kill the girl.  
"That is impossible." Battler calmly stated and shook his head. "As Beato told me, there is no way to get out from the void of Fragments. Even thousands of skilled witches and sorcerers with their effort combined were unable to reverse the effect of the spell."  
Beatrice, who listened intently and quietly until now, asked in a timid voice: "Then, what do you think happened?"  
Battler grinned widely as if waiting for this very question. He stretched his hands in a dramatic gesture. "This is where we turn the chessboard over. When the girl first appeared, she looked, sounded and behaved like a little lost girl. It wasn't until later that she changed somehow both physically and mentally. And now, she is here again, behaving like a little girl, just like the very first time."  
Lambdadelta was clearly irritated and her voice shook with suppressed rage: "And what does all that mean?"  
"Simply put, this girl has a double existence."  
Lambdadelta's jaw fell wide open. She was unable to say anything. It was just too ridiculous and unbelievable to be true. She almost expected Battler to start laughing at any time and say it was all a joke but he looked dead serious. Beatrice was none less stunned than Lambdadelta but she managed to get out a sentence: "Double… existence? Is that even possible?"  
Battler sighed in exasperation. "It's the only explanation that makes sense. Or can you prove my theory wrong?"  
Neither of the witches dared oppose Battler's explanation. Although they didn't want to admit it, it did make perfect sense. Battler looked at both Lambdadelta and Beatrice and growled in annoyance when he saw they don't believe him. "Look, she is just harmless little girl."  
With those words, Battler crouched to Rika and patted her on the head. "There, there. Don't cry. There's nothing to be scared of anymore." He mustered what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. Fortunately for him, it seemed to work as Rika slowly stopped sobbing. Suddenly, she lunged at Battler. The witched shouted in anticipation of danger but they soon saw it was a false alarm. Rika simply hugged Battler.  
"Thank you mister." Rika's voice was weak and fragile.  
Battler now faced an awkward situation as he wasn't used to dealing with little girls. Unsure of what to do, he simply continued patting Rika's head.

After a while, Rika finally let go of Battler and sat on the ground. Battler sat next to her and asked: "What's your name?"  
"I'm…" Rika stopped and made a face like she was focusing intently on something. Suddenly, her expression brightened and she smiled on Battler "I'm Rika!"  
"I'm Battler. Nice to meet you, Rika." Battler tried to sound nonchalantly but he was really nervous. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the witches were now much closer to Battler and Rika but still kept some distance. He ignored them and continued in the conversation.  
"Say, Rika. How did you get here? You're surely scared of being lost, aren't you?"  
Much to Battler's surprise Rika shook her head slightly. "I'm not scared. I don't know why but even though I don't know anything of this, I'm not scared." Rika's expression darkened slightly as she continued. "I'm afraid I don't remember how I got here. In fact, I don't remember anything. Only few fragments of memories."  
Battler stared at Rika, unsure of what to say. Fortunately for him, Rika continued.  
"I think I live in some kind of village with several friends. There's also one person that means a lot to me. That person…" Suddenly, Rika's eyes widened and she grabbed Battler's arm. She shook it furiously and shouted: "I have to get back! She's waiting for me."  
Then, as if she realized what she was doing, Rika let go of Battler's arm and sat back on the ground. "Sorry. I don't know why I did it."  
"Hey, don't sweat it. You're just confused, that's not surprising." Battler tried to laugh it off.  
Rika stared for some time to the ground and then, she spoke calmly: "I remember… one week. Several times."  
"What does that mean?"  
"I… I don't know. I remember some events of one week several times. They are not always the same but they happen at the same time. It's almost like I… lived several times through one and the same week."  
"Wha—" Battler didn't finish the sentence as the blonde-haired with shouted.  
"Of course! It makes sense! You were right!"  
Battler, Beatrice and Rika all turned towards Lambdadelta. She looked like a child who just found out an amazing secret. She gestured to Beatrice and sat on the ground across from Battler and Rika. Beatrice sat next to her. Lambdadelta quickly began her explanation: "Bernkastel usually refused to tell me anything about her Creator. But once, she told me that her Creator if fighting in a distorted Fragment against and ominous force. She told me that this unbelievably evil force was the cause of the distortion. Because of that, the reality of the Fragment was stuck in an endless loop of tragedy. At the end of the tragedy, her Creator died and everything looped back to beginning. Over and over, for an eternity. She said that it was impossible for her Creator to escape the Fragment unless she defeats the evil within and that the evil presence is indestructible. How then, is it possible for her Creator to stand before us? Battler's explanation actually makes perfect sense. What happened was that Rika defeated the evil. Since the evil is indestructible, the only way for her to defeat it was to absorb it. That's how she was able to get out of the Fragment and that also explains her double existence."  
For a while, everyone stared in awe at Lambdadelta but they quickly got their grasp on what she was saying. The first one to start talking was Rika.  
"I think you are right. That's probably what happened. I remember it more clearly now."  
Lambdadelta puffed her cheeks proudly and smiled at Rika. "Don't worry. We'll get you back to your Fragment." She lightly touched Rika's forehead and focused. She tried to find the magic trace of Rika's Fragment. That would allow her to connect and travel directly to the Fragment. Battler and Beatrice looked silently as Lambdadelta lifted her finger off Rika's forehead. Her face was completely pale. She spoke in a trembling voice: "R-Rika. I'm sorry but your Fragment… it doesn't exist anymore. You have nowhere to return."

Rika gasped in shock and immediately felt her eyes become watery. She felt like she has just lost something very dear to her. Images of her friends briefly flashed through her mind but she knew that was not it. The person she longed for the most was the one she couldn't remember clearly. The pain in her chest was growing fast and threatened to burst her heart. One word slipped from Rika's lips before she collapsed on the ground: "Hanyuu…" Rika cried and wailed, her mind slowly shattering from the shock.  
Beatrice quickly jumped to Rika and embraced her in an effort to comfort her. Battler turned to Lambdadelta with fiery eyes. "Why did you have to be so blunt? Don't you see she's just a little girl? What were you thinking?" He clenched his fists in rage and it took all his willpower not to punch Lambdadelta in the face.  
"I… I'm sorry." Lambdadelta forced a meek response but Battler didn't care about her excuses.  
"Your 'sorry' will not help her! Don't you see how devastated she is?" Battler knew all too well what it feels like to lose the ones closest to you. His games with Beatrice were ruthless. Lambdadelta argued weekly: "I-I can correct it."  
"How do you want to correct it? You can't return the time!" Battler shouted furiously.  
"I… I…"  
"You nothing! You can do nothing!" Battler stretched his fist backwards, preparing to punch.  
Lambdadelta's patience finally snapped and she screamed on top of her lungs: "There is a way to reconstruct a Fragment!"  
At her words, Battler stopped mid-punch and blinked in surprise. Before he could realize what was going on, Rika jumped at Lambdadelta and they both crashed to the ground.  
"How? How do you reconstruct a Fragment?" Rika shook furiously with Lambdadelta, tears still rolling down her face. Beatrice quickly grabbed Rika by the shoulders and pulled her off Lambdadelta. She crouched and whispered calmly in Rika's ears. "Calm down. Don't panic. There's no need to rush things. We all want to help you. So, stop crying, okay?"  
Beatrice's words had the desired effect and Rika finally seemed to have calmed down. Battler looked at the witch with a raised eyebrow and said: "I didn't know you were so good with kids."  
Beatrice smiled mischievously at Battler and responded: "There are still many things you don't know about me."

Lambdadelta raised herself from the ground and dusted her dress. She looked up and saw Rika sitting close to her, looking her in the eyes. Rika spoke in a calm voice: "Could you please tell me how to recreate a Fragment?"  
Lambdadelta's expression darkened and she looked down at the ground. "Actually, I have no idea how to recreate a Fragment. But I know it is possible."  
"Then, who knows how to recreate a Fragment?" Rika's voice didn't show any sign of wavering.  
"I remember that there is one Fragment in which resides a powerful entity. It's powerful enough to be able to completely change the whole reality of a Fragment as well as create or recreate new Fragments." Rika's eyes glistened but her hopes were quickly destroyed by Lambdadelta's next words. "However, these artificially created Fragments are devoid of life. No matter how powerful the entity is, it cannot create and sustain life outside of its Fragment."  
"So you're saying this entity is able to recreate my Fragment but there will be no life?"  
"No, that's not right. The entity cannot create and sustain artificial life. The life of beings in your Fragment is not artificial and therefore it may be possible to recreate the Fragment including all life permanently."  
Rika looked into the sky and thought for a while before looking at Lambdadelta. "Send me to that Fragment." The seriousness of her voice caught Battler and Beatrice by surprise but the blonde-haired girl was unfazed.  
"Are you completely sure?"  
"Yes. Do it." Rika looked straight into Lambdadelta's eyes.  
Lambdadelta started to chant an incantation when Battler yelled: "W-Wait a second! Isn't this too sudden?"  
Rika turned around and smiled cutely at Beatrice and Battler. When she spoke, her voice was sweet and girly once again. "Thank you all for your help. It was nice meeting you, Battler."  
Suddenly, a bright light enveloped Rika.  
"Wait!" Battler and Beatrice shouted in unison and leaped towards the little girl but before they could grab anything, the light disappeared and they fell on the ground. Battler quickly stood up and looked around but Rika was already gone.

* * *

_**A/N:** And there you have it. The last chapter of the prologue. That's right, all you have been reading so far was only the prologue to the main story. I also have a message that may please some of you but it may also make some of you angry. Starting from the next chapter, __the story changes into a huge crossover with many, many possible franchises. Each chapter will be set in a different universe and there are going to be interchapters between each chapter. In these interchapters, you will find all important facts and events from the previous summarized so you don't have to read a chapter set in a universe you know nothing about._  



	5. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

**_A/N: _**_This chapter turned out way longer than what I expected. I had the storyline in mind but I was progressing through it far too quickly and I expected to end the chapter at around ~3000 words. In the end, it turned out to have over 7000 words so that's a good thing I guess.  
In this and this chapter only, I tried to adapt the writing styles of Haruhi Suzumiya light novels. That included character's replying to Kyon's thoughts and shifts between present and past tense. I will return to my old style of writing, with possible stylistic improvements. Thank you for understanding.  
Please don't forget to review after reading._

* * *

**Haruhi Suzumiya universe explanation:**  
_This section is for those who are unfamiliar with the Haruhi franchise. Hopefully, you will be able to understand the story a little bit better after reading this.  
_

**Plot Summary: **Haruhi Suzuzmiya is a weird and eccentric high school girl who has the powers to change reality although she is unaware of it herself. She start a club in school called 'SOS Brigade' and forcibly recruits most members, including the narrator, Kyon. Because of Haruhi's subconscious desire, every other member of the brigade except Kyon is not a normal human and Kyon often finds himself in incredible situations.

**Characters:  
_Kyon: _**The main narrator of the story who often provides sarcastic comments. He's the only member of SOS brigade who is a normal human. Kyon is his nickname but his real name is unknown.  
**_Mikuru Asahina: _**Mikuru is a traveler through time and was sent from the future to monitor Haruhi. She is very cute and childish and because of that she often finds herself the target of harassment from Haruhi. Kyon is quite fond of her and the tea she makes.  
**_Itsuki Koizumi: _**Koizumi is an esper working for a mysterious 'Organization' that is interested in Haruhi and her powers. He is almost always smiling and grinning, going along with whatever Haruhi wants without protests. Because of this and because of Koizumi's inappropriate comments, Kyon dislikes him.**_  
Yuki Nagato: _**An 'alien' from space. Created by Integrated Data Sentient Entity (an almost omnipotent being), she is a humanoid interface with the mission of watching over Haruhi. Kyon trusts and relies on her often and she saved him from various disasters several times. Nagato also views Kyon as a kind of her 'superior' or 'advisor', often seeking confirmation from him before taking action.**_  
_****Ryoko Asakura: **A humanoid interface created as a backup for Nagato. She went haywire in the past and tried to kill Kyon in order to see Haruhi's reaction to his death. Ultimately, Nagato saved Kyon from Asakura and erased her existence.**__****  
**

* * *

**Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya**

Why are these things always happening to me? Did I do something in the past that angered some god? If I did, I regret that and humbly apologize. So please, tell me god, why me? Why is it always me?

Of course, I already know why. I don't need a god to tell me that it's all only because one stupid hyper-active girl who has as much common sense as a fried octopus. Thanks to her, I was faced with a lot of bizarre and incredible situations. One would expect I would have gotten used to these situations by now. Maybe I am used to them. No, I'm definitely used to them. Any other sane person would have probably already packed his things and moved to some faraway place, away from civilization. After all, that would be the right choice. I don't know why I still hang out with those guys. Oh wait, I do know. It's thanks to the awesome angel that goes by the name of Mikuru Asahina and the life-saving goddess Yuki Nagato. It's definitely not because of that devilish girl and certainly not because of that always-stupidly-grinning idiot Itsuki Koizumi.

Ah, whatever. Pondering about these problems is not going to help me solve my situation. For some inexplicable reason, I find myself lying on the floor with nothing but my underwear on and a little girl with dark-blue hair is sitting on top of my body. On my crotch, to be exact. I'm sure this is one of those situations you would see on a typical comedy show. Come on, if there are any cameras around, just tell me.

As I lie there on the ground, I think to myself: Could this be any worse?

Yeah, I know. I should know better than to think about such things at this time. And as expected, the god has his cruel laugh at fulfilling my wish. I hear two quick sharp knock on the door and hear my sister yell cheerfully.

"Kyon, I'm going to borrow Shamisen for a while, okay?"

I watch in horror as the door knob slowly turns. I don't know what exactly would be my sister's reaction if she found me lying near-naked on the floor with clearly underage girl sitting on me in an explicit pose but I'm sure my miserable existence would have come to a quick end.

Now, you're probably wondering how exactly I managed to get myself in this situation. It was actually a pretty normal day and nobody (least of all me) could imagine I would end up in a very compromising position. I shall use the many-years-proven-working technique of flashback to show you the contents of the day. So with that said…

FLASHBACK MODE START

I wake up twenty minutes before the alarm sounds. What the hell? My brain must have gone haywire while I was asleep. Just as I wonder why did I wake up, all my questions are answered with a 'meow' right next to my head. I turn around only to meet with the gaze of my cat, Shamisen. So it was you! I grab him by the neck and ignoring his protests, toss him out of the room before returning to bed.

I tossed for a while on the bed but then decided to give up, turned off the alarm and dressed myself up for school. When I finally got to breakfast, my little sister was already noisily playing with Shamisen, who was purring contentedly. Sure, you little traitor. Do as you wish. Just don't forget who brought you in the house in the first place.

As if on cue, Shamisen glares at me fiercely before jumping off my sister's lap and scurrying off, presumably into some warm place where he could catch some nap. Unfazed by his evident death threat, I bite into my toast.

When I arrived at school, I found a note in my shoe locker. The prospect of a secret admirer or possibly of Asahina-san finally telling me her feelings flashed through my mind but all and any enthusiasm I had accumulated vanished without a trace once I recognized the hand-writing. It was nobody else's but Haruhi's. I sigh and crumple the paper without reading it before tossing it into the nearest trash bin. I'm not really in the mood for your eccentricities.

After classes ended, I automatically went to the SOS Brigade clubroom. I don't really have any reason to go there but I just got accustomed to it. Besides, it's not like there's anything for me to do at home.

I open the door and greet Nagato only to notice that she's not there along with everybody else. That's strange. Even though I do arrive early, Nagato is here always before me. Does she have something important going on in the class? A brief concern flies through my mind. Did Haruhi cause another problem for humanity and more importantly, me? If that were the case, I'm sure Koizumi would be calling me on my cellphone by now, telling me to get god-knows-where and help him make the world normal again.

I throw my backpack into the corner and sit down on the nearest chair. If only Asahina-san was here to brew me some of her god-like tea.

Several minutes pass without me doing anything before I finally decide to pick a book from Nagato's library. I go to the shelves and start looking at the titles. It might be just me but I'm sure none of these books is in a language I can understand. So much for reading.

I go back and just as I'm about to sit down, my phone rings. Crap. I knew it. With an exaggerated sigh I take the phone but it's not Koizumi who answers. Instead, my auditory system is attacked by a load of incomprehensible shouts in what seems to be a girl's voice. I reflexively put the phone off my ear and wait for the screaming to stop before putting it back.

"Kyon! You idiot! Where are you? We're waiting on you for more than half an hour!"

Wait? What? Waiting where?

"Are you retarded or what? I wrote you on the note clearly that we're going to meet in front of the station! Is your sight impaired so much that you can't even read a simple note?"

Oh, that. I recall something like a note from Haruhi being in my locker this morning.

"What do you mean, 'oh, that'? Matters of the SOS brigade should always be your highest priority! You have 5 minutes to get here or—"

I cut Haruhi off before she can finish and slip the phone back in my pocket. Guess there's not much I can do. I grab my backpack and jog out of the room.

Apparently, I'm not as fast as a certain Jamaican athlete and so I inevitably turned up around thirty minutes later, not five. Not that it would matter much to Haruhi who was raging as a volcano about to erupt.

"You're incredibly late! Idiot! Imbecile! Incompetent!"

Haruhi barks at me instead of a greeting so all I do is raising my hand apologetically.

Ignoring further insults Haruhi is furiously spewing; I lean to Koizumi and inquire about the reasons for this meeting. He replies with his trademark idiotic grin that looks like from a cheap toothbrush advertisement.

"Suzumiya-san declared another hunt on the paranormal, this time in a museum. It looks like Asahina-san is looking forward to the event and even Nagato-san showed a certain degree of interest."

A paranormal search in a museum, huh? Why can't she simply say she wants to go have fun? I glance at Asahina-san, who is clapping her hands cutely in her impatience. Nagato remains silent as always so I can't really gauge her interest but it must be a new experience for her. I doubt Nagato ever was in a museum so it's no surprise she wants to see one. Even humanoid interfaces have desires and emotions. I learned that lesson the hard way.

"Hey, Kyon! Are you even listening to what I say?"

Haruhi suddenly pops before my face and shouts at me from a distance way too short for comfort. I back down immediately and nod.

"Yeah. I'm listening."

"Hmph. Whatever. Let's go already; we've lost way too much time. It's quite a few stations away from this one so we better hurry up if we want to go through most of the museum."

Haruhi started off into the station and we all followed her on the first train in our desired direction. Asahina-san was behaving like a restless kid that can't wait to get home on her birthday so she can open up presents. I doubt she ever remained still for more than two seconds. Nagato was in complete opposite to Asahina-san as she sat on her seat motionlessly, even when the train rode into a curve. Koizumi read in some brochure that he seemingly pulled out of thin air as I haven't seen him have it before and it certainly wouldn't fit in his pockets.

The actual trip there took almost an hour so it was no surprise that when we finally got to the museum, less than two hours remained until closing time. Haruhi pulled out a sack with little pieces of paper from her backpack and made us all pick one of the pieces to decide who will go where. I looked at the piece I pulled out and read: 'science exhibit'. So I guess that's where I'll go. It didn't take long for the others to figure out their exhibit. Nagato picked out science exhibit as well while Haruhi, Asahina and Koizumi pulled out a paper reading 'nature exhibit'. Haruhi declared to meet in front of the museum ten minutes before closing time and with that, we took off.

This trip was supposed to be a supernatural search and while I'm sure Haruhi checked every corner for a potential alien or esper, I had no desire to do so and it didn't look like Nagato was looking for any ghosts either. She slowly made her way through the museum, her eyes never resting. I trailed shortly after her, not really interested in any of this.

When we got to the part of the exhibit that detailed the development of computers throughout history, I could swear I sensed a wave of happiness from Nagato. She was clearly fascinated by all the old-school technical stuff around her which must seem to her interface self about as complex as rocks seem to me. Oh well, I'm glad Nagato's enjoying herself, she deserves it.

In the end, we didn't find any ghosts or aliens or espers for that matter but Haruhi didn't seem too depressed about it. I guess she really just wanted to go visit a museum.

The train that was supposed to take us back had an accident and we had to go on foot some distance to a different station and because of that, it was pitch black outside by the time I returned home. I quickly slipped into my room and looked at the clock. 11:00PM. Well, that's just great. I decided to take a shower before going to sleep so I started undressing. Just as I pulled down my pants and tossed them aside, I felt something like a quake and before I knew what was going on, I was lying on the ground with a little girl on top of me.

FLASHBACK MODE END

As you can see, nothing throughout the whole day pointed towards this outcome. And now, my little sister is opening the door to my room. I could say I was in worse situations but I'm not sure it wouldn't be a lie. I have to act now!

I shrug the girl off me forcefully and bolt to the door at a speed that surely surpasses that of the light. I slam the now-slightly-opened door shut with the force of the impact of my body.

"Wait! Don't come here now!"

My voice is strained and only incites more curiosity out of my sister.

"Why? What are you doing Kyon? Give me Shamisen!"

I look around my shoulder and see that the girl is still sitting on the ground where I left her, looking around in confusion. I can't think of anything better than to grab the blanket on my bed and throw it at the girl, covering her. I then quickly grab Shamisen and open the door just enough to slip him through that unfortunately causes my sister to slip her hand through the door as well.

The cat dashes past my little sister, startling her just enough for me to shove her hand back and slam the door shut. Before she can try and open the door, I reach for the lock and turn it. Finally free of any impeding danger, I sink on my knees and wipe my forehead. My sister is still beating on the door and yelling at me to let her in but she quickly gives up and runs off, most likely to catch Shamisen.

I go to the strange protrusion in the middle of my room and throw the blanket back at my bed. The girl looks at me with her big little eyes that hint a little bit of fear and lets out a nonsensical sound.

"Mii~?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

We stare at each other for several seconds. This is getting uncomfortable. I guess I should try to make some conversation… Eh, let's see…

"Hello. I'm Kyon. Who are you?"

"My name is Rika! Sorry about your sister, you almost got to trouble."

Wow, she's sharp. And understanding. I could almost like her more than my little sister. Ah, whatever. The important thing right now is why exactly is this girl in my room. Fortunately for me, Rika starts explaining right away.

"I know you are probably confused by my sudden appearance but fear not. I am not here to do any harm. I'm from a different world than yours and am simply searching for an entity so powerful that it can create new worlds or alter existing ones that is supposed to be in this world. Do you, by any chance, know any being like that?"

"…"

I am struck speechless. She said all that in one single breath, like she had it practiced beforehand. A normal person would dismiss her as a madman but not me so I guess she lucked out. But what's with that overly-mature style of speaking? How old are you?

"I'm 10!"

I close my eyes and fall backwards onto my bed. Ten years? Are you for real? I mean, from physical standpoint, that's about right but are you sure that a ten-year-old girl should be so calm in this situation. That reminds me, I'm still in my underwear...

Fortunately for me, Rika had enough common sense to turn around when I reached for my pants to dress up and so I managed to avoid rather awkward situation. Not like having a little girl pop in your room in the middle of the night is not awkward enough. Oh well…

Now, what distresses me the most is the being Rika is searching for. Her description was terrifyingly accurate portrayal of Haruhi. After all, it was Haruhi who changed and reworked the world three years ago and nobody noticed a damn thing. The catch is, she has no idea about her powers and it's better that way. I can't even begin to imagine what would happen if that air-headed hyper-active girl became conscious about her powers. As much as I want to help the girl, leading her to Haruhi would be a very bad idea, of that I'm sure. Asahina-san is also out of question. She is cute and lovable but aside from traveling through time, she's also quite useless. Sorry Asahina-san, that's how it is. Koizumi might be able to think up something but I would rather eat a thousand needles and dance naked on hot coals before seeking help from him. That leaves me with only one other choice…

…which I ended up taking, unsurprisingly. I find myself standing in front of Nagato's apartment with Rika right behind me. It didn't take long to convince her to tag along once I said I may know somebody who might be able to help. Fortunately for us, my parents and my sister were already sleeping by the time we slipped out. I don't know how I would explain Rika's presence to them, especially when they haven't seen her come inside in the first place.

I press the button on the panel and wait for a while before I hear the familiar voice.

"Yes?"

"Ah, Nagato. It's me Kyon. I have a little problem. There's this little girl that suddenly appeared in my room and—"

"Come in."

I hear the buzzer so I quickly grab the handle of the door and open them. It's not the first time I'm going to Nagato's apartment and most likely also not the last time. I feel bad for intruding on her whenever I find myself in trouble but I have no other choice. I wave my hand at Rika and go through the door with her.

Once we got to Nagato's apartment, I started to explain things from the very beginning (excluding the events of the day because she was already with me) to Nagato who listened quietly and intently. When I finally finished, she nodded slightly and said:

"Understood."

And with that, out conversation ended. Ignoring me completely, Nagato turned to Rika and started speaking in a calm, monotone voice.

"The Integrated Data Sentient Entity is capable of creating new or altering existing worlds. Such ability is not limited to Integrated Data Sentient Entity but it is forbidden for others to have knowledge of world-altering functions."

Rika stared at Nagato for some time before she finally understood the meaning of that sentence.

"Does that mean… you know how I can re-create a world but you can't tell me?"

"Yes."

"But I have to know! It's the only reason I am here!"

Rika's suddenly started to shout so I tried to erase my presence here but she soon turned her attention to me.

"Kyon! You said she will help me! Do something!"

Woah! I never said she will help you! I said that she might be able to help you. That's a fundamental difference. But it doesn't seem like Rika's going to stop her tantrum unless she gets what she wants. What a pain. Looks like I have to do something.

"Nagato, can't you make an exception for her. I mean, she's not from this world, right? There shouldn't be any problem."

Nagato glares at me menacingly for a long, long time. I feel chills go up my spine. Finally, she eases up a bit.

"I will make a request to Integrated Data Sentient Entity on your behalf."

Those words seemed to calm Rika down. When I look at her, I see she was on the verge of crying for some inexplicable reason. She's a weird one but I have seen lots of things. Just as I'm about to ask her if everything's alright, Nagato continues.

"Under the extraordinary circumstances, it has been decided to allow Rika Furude partial knowledge of world-altering functions."

A bright smile stretches across Rika's face and she starts thanking Nagato so furiously that it's a wonder she's not yet bowing down to her.

Nagato shows no reaction to the girl's gratitude as she stands up and goes to Rika. Rika looks rather confused by Nagato's action, as am I but it all becomes clear once Nagato touches Rika's forehead with her finger.

"Starting data transfer process."

I see. It makes sense to directly implant the knowledge into Rika's brain. After all, what would happen to the world if I had such knowledge? It's just a super-secret version of 'for your eyes only'.

It takes only seconds for them to finish. Nagato emotionlessly returns back to her seat but Rika looks a little strange. I look more carefully and notice that she's trembling. Her mouth slowly opens and closes and I can clearly see her eyes widen. I guess it's not easy for human brain to process all that information. Finally, Rika lets out a scream and falls down on the ground.

"W-What is this? That can't be right! There has to be a different way!"

I look in horror as the little girl next to me writhes on the ground, holding her head and screaming.

"Nagato! What did you do to her?"

"I implanted partial knowledge of world-altering into her brain."

"But look at what is happening to her! Can't you do something?"

"Her reaction is not surprising. That information was not meant for humans."

"Wha—"

It wasn't Nagato who answered me. It was an all-too-familiar voice from somewhere behind me. It was a voice that haunts me in my nightmares ever since that day. I slowly turn around. No way. That is not possible. You should not exist! Nagato erased you!

Right before me stands a smiling Asakura Ryouko, the humanoid interface that once tried to kill me and only thanks to Nagato's intervention did she not succeed.

"Why, hello, Kyon-kun. It's a surprise to see you here. I still wonder what would Haruhi's reaction be if you died. But I'm not here for you."

She breaks her eye contact with me and lifts her hand towards Nagato. I can see her holding a big knife, just like the one she had when she tried to kill me.

"Nagato-san. You and Integrated Data Sentient Entity breached the codex by imparting a forbidden knowledge on human. I am here to carry out the consequences."

Wait a minute. I thought Asakura was part of IDSE so why does she speak like that?

"Kyon-kun. Did you really think there is only one Entity?"

Asakura's laugh rings inside my head as cold sweat covers my whole body. Nagato, do something!

I hear a loud thump. I swiftly shift my gaze towards its source and see that Nagato has collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.

"Nagato! Nagato! Are you alright?"

I try to run towards her but I'm stopped in my tracks by a strange semi-transparent wall. I have seen this wall already, back when Asakura and Nagato fought. Does that mean they're fighting again? Nagato…

"Looks like the virus started working. It won't take long for Nagato to perish."

What are you saying? I punch the wall as hard as I can but it has no effect whatsoever. This failed so my next target is the one who put that wall in there.

I turn around and rush at Asakura who is still smiling widely like she's having fun in the middle of a girls' group. I lunge at her, flailing my limbs aimlessly but before I can hit her, I stop. I'm unable to move and am stuck in the air. Damn! Why do I have to be so powerless? Asakura turns her head towards me and without breaking her freakish smile, she waves her arm. Before I know what's happening, I crash hard back at the place I started to run from. Rika is still writhing on the ground next to me, howling and crying.

Run… We must run away… I must think only about how to escape. That's the only way to survive. Nagato will surely think of something. She has to.

"Now, it's time to deal the finishing blow."

Before I'm able to blink, Asakura is standing above Nagato; her hands holding the knife raised high into the air. What are you doing? Stop it! Stop that! Stop!

Time seems to slow down. Asakura brings her hands down. I scream. Blood splatters the window. Asakura raises the knife and brings it down again. Blood splatters the wall. Asakura stabs the knife again. More blood. Blood. Blood. Blood everywhere. I don't believe this. This is not happening, right? I am dreaming, right? Nagato can't die from just that, right?

Asakura finally stops her stabbing and stands up from the bloody bundle on the floor. She's completely drenched in blood but it doesn't seem to bother her at all. I couldn't care less. All that matters to me is Nagato. She survived horrible wounds before so why isn't she moving now? Hey, Nagato. Say something. Do something!

"She's already gone Kyon-kun."

Once again, the horrifying laughter of Asakura enters my mind and threatens to tear me apart. She's lying! She has to be! But deep down I know she's not.

As if to further assure me of Nagato's demise, Asakura touches Nagato's head and her body starts to disappear in very same way Asakura disappeared after Nagato deleted her.

I can't cry. I can't shout. I can't do anything. I'm paralyzed with shock. Nagato…

"Good. That's one thing out of the way. Now, onto the next one."

Asakura's voice brings me back into reality as I realize she's going after Rika. I might have been unable to save Nagato but I'll have to save at least the little girl. Otherwise, I'm a failure as human being. I'm sure that if given enough time, Nagato is going to appear again.

I grab Rika by her shoulders and shake her violently.

"Hey, snap out of it! Come on!"

It is only then that I notice something has changed. Rika's hair was of much, much darker shade than before but what caught my attention the most were her eyes. Her left eye was blue, just like before but her right eye changed color to black. Not the whole eye, only the iris was black but the change creeps me out nonetheless. But this is not the time to contemplate about it. We have to get out!

I shake Rika again and try to snap her out of her hysteria but it's of no use. I grab her head and force her to look me in the eye.

"We have to get out of here, now!"

Rika's body stops moving and just when I feel a sense of relief I catch some movement out of the corner of my eye. Oh crap.

Asakura dashed forward and is now lunging at Rika with her knife. Her speed is incredible and I'm unable to react in any way. Then, just as the tip of the knife reaches Rika's head, she lets out a ear-shattering scream and a blast of light blinds my eyes.

When my vision finally clears, Asakura is nowhere to be seen, along with everything else. The only thing I see before me is pitch black darkness. However, even in the darkness I am able to clearly see Rika floating in the air. Her hair seems to be back to normal and both her eyes are blue again. She doesn't seem to notice me. It's as if I am a ghost.

I try to call out to her but I'm unable to. I realize I can't move or speak. What the hell is this? Did we manage to get rid of Asakura?

It looks like Rika is as confused as I am because she's restlessly turning around as if looking for something.

"What is this? Where am I?"

She calls out into the darkness but nobody answers. Suddenly, I see several ripples in the air not too far from Rika and a girl appears out of nowhere. My brain struggles to understand it all and the new girl's appearance doesn't help.

I might have not noticed if I didn't see them side-by-side but the new girl looks just like Rika except for a few different things. Her hair and her eyes are black not blue like Rika's. Her skin is so pale it seems almost white and transparent. And her outfit is vastly different than that of Rika. Whereas Rika wears a green tank top, a short skirt, knee-high white socks and black shoes; the Rika look-alike wears a slim black dress in 'gothic lolita' style and stockings of solid white color.

Aside from all that, the two girls appear identical. How is that possible, I have no idea but then again, I don't really care. From now on, I will refer to the original Rika as 'Rika (blue)' and to the new Rika look-alike as 'Rika (black)'.

Rika (blue) doesn't seem to be too surprised to see Rika (black) appear before her and she starts her barrage of questions immediately.

"Who are you? Where am I? What did you do?"

Rika (black) only smirks, unfazed by Rika's (blue) outburst. She stares at Rika (blue) with a bored face for some time before answering.

"To answer all your questions: I am you. You are inside your head. I didn't do anything."

Rika (black) did answer all Rika's (blue) questions but none of us is any wiser. I'm willing to bet my money that Rika (black) is doing this just to tick Rika (blue) off for her own amusement. And it worked.

"What do you mean, you're me? What are you exactly? How can this place be inside my head? And how—"

Before Rika (blue) can continue, Rika (black) covers her mouth and puts her finger in front of her own. She remains like this until Rika (blue) stops struggling and calms down. Only then leaves Rika (black) hold of Rika (blue). The following conversation was said in the form of a classic dialogue where Rika (black) and Rika (blue) alternated between talking so I'll omit all and any description of the speaker for now and occasionally share my thoughts about the dialogue. Starting with Rika (black):

"You know who I am. Think back, to your original Fragment."

What the hell is a Fragment?

"But that's not possible. That witch banished you. And even before that, Hanyuu sealed you inside the Fragment. You cannot exist."

"Oh, I can exist. I cannot be destroyed. After all, I am your Fate."

I don't really understand any of this but it doesn't sound too good.

"But how…"

"I'll tell you how. It's true that Hanyuu separated our existence in the Fragment. However, when she sent you out of the Fragment, you found yourself in the Void of Fragments. And what do you think happened to me after that Fragment I was in shattered? Did you not find it strange how easily were you able to connect your body and mind with your existence when you couldn't do it more than a million times before?"

Void of Fragments? Is this some kind of joke?

"That was you…?"

"Yes, it's only thanks to me that the white being noticed your existence. You should be thankful."

"But what about that witch? Didn't she banish you again?"

"You still don't get it? It's true I was stopped by her spell and it trapped me in the Void of Fragments. However, you made a mistake. No, it wasn't really a mistake, you had no choice. You traveled outside the Fragment."

"And that's when you connected with me again…"

"Bingo! Was it that hard?"

Yes, it was. At least for me to understand any of it.

"I can't ever get rid of you, can I?"

"No. I am a part of you. I was born from all your hatred, from all the violence of all the worlds you lived in. I am you."

"You are me…"

"That's right. But please, don't call me Rika. That's your name. If you want, you can call me Sanyon."

I hope you can make any sense of it so far because I certainly can't. Rika (blue) was staring somewhere far away, probably thinking about everything that Rika (blac- I mean Sanyon said.

After some time, Rika finally turned back to Sanyon.

"Why am I here? What do you want?"

Sanyon laughed amusedly.

"Right to the point, I see. In short, you're about to be killed. The only way to prevent that is to let me take over."

"I refuse."

Rika's voice was firm but Sanyon didn't seem to be taken aback.

"Don't worry; I'll give control of your body back to you after everything calms down."

"No. I will not allow you to control me anymore. Even if it means my death."

That's some determination you got there. I, for one, would probably already accept Sanyon's offer, doing whatever I can to survive. It became clear that Sanyon was getting increasingly more frustrated.

"Are you really sure about that? Where's all your determination to live? Just let me take over."

Rika remained steadfast in her denial.

"I won't. I don't want evil to consume me again."

Harsh words.

"I am not evil Rika. I am you."

"You are evil! If you want to prove otherwise, tell me your greatest desire right now! Don't lie!"

Sanyon exhaled deeply.

"Very well. I'll tell you the truth. I desire blood, death and the suffering of others."

You are evil after all. Thank god Rika didn't let her take over.

"Just as I thought. I am not letting you take over my body."

Way to go Rika!

"It's true that those are my desires but it's also true those desires came from within you, Rika."

Wait, what?

"You're lying! You just want me to believe that! I never desired any of that."

"Be honest with yourself. How often have you wished for the one that always hindered your future to disappear? How often have you imagined cruelly torturing and killing the person for everything you had to endure. It's only thanks to your immense hatred that I was born."

"No! No! That's no true!"

Rika was clutching her head as if having a terrible headache. She sank on her knees and opened her mouth in a scream that never came. Sanyon ducked to Rika and whispered in her ear.

"If you accept me, I can help you reach Hanyuu again."

A single tear smeared Rika's face as she asked in barely audible voice.

"Do you promise not to use pointless violence?"

Sanyon stood up and stretched her hand towards Rika.

"I promise."

Rika took Sanyon's hand and stood up as well. Her face was resolute.

"Then, I accept you. I accept your presence into mine."

Sanyon smiled and brought Rika closer to herself. She embraced Rika's tiny body and their lips met. At that time, another bright flash filled my vision.

When I finally grew accustomed to the light, I noticed I'm back in Nagato's apartment. Everything is just like before the first flash of light. Asakura is in mid-stab. Rika is standing before me. No. Not everything is the same. It's not Rika who is before me. It's Sanyon.

I realize that Asakura's blade didn't reach Sanyon's head. In fact, Sanyon is holding Asakura by her wrist, denying her hand any freedom of movement. Asakura seems to be as surprised with this sudden change as I am. I'm sure I saw the tip of the knife touch Rika's head before.

Asakura looks in confusion at Sanyon at opens her mouth in shock. I think that's understandable in her situation. I look back at Sanyon and notice an evil grin on her face.

"That knife is a no-no."

I see Sanyon move her hand slightly, almost unnoticeably and hear a horrible creaking sound. At the same time, Asakura screams. Before I figure out what is happening, I hear something snap and then a cling on the ground. Asakura's hand is now bent at unnatural angle at the place where Sanyon was holding her wrist and the knife is on the ground. Although I'm pretty sure Asakura's hand was broken right now, she doesn't seem to mind. Now that I think about it, it doesn't really matter to Asakura in what condition is her body. She can manipulate data of the world as a humanoid interface just fine.

As if on cue, the room around us shakes and warps. The floor, walls and the ceiling all disappear along with the furniture and are replaced by semi-transparent walls. If I remember correctly, this is a Data Jurisdiction space, allowing humanoid interfaces to exert their data manipulation powers to greater extent. I have an unsettling sense of deja-vu.

Asakura breaks free from Sanyon and jumps back. She laughs menacingly as her hand returns to its natural position.

"My, my. What an interesting development. I'm not sure if it's Nagato helping you, little girl, or just your own ability but it won't help you."

Unfortunately, she's right. Inside this space, Asakura can do virtually anything. Even Nagato had problems fighting her and she's a humanoid interface as well. No matter what Sanyon may have in store, there's no way she will be able to defeat Asakura. I have to warn her.

"Don't try to fight her! We must run!"

I shout as loud as I can but Sanyon ignores me. However, I managed to get Asakura's attention. She glares at me like a fangirl whose idol was just insulted in front of her. I feel my body lifting on the ground any I crash hard into the wall. I try to draw my breath from the impact and don't notice that several iron stakes are flying in my direction. They each burry in a part of my outfit, only barely missing my limbs. As a result, I'm now hanging on the wall, pinned by my own clothes. That's not funny, you know! I'm not some house decoration!

"Be quiet!"

Asakura snaps at me and I immediately shut my mouth out of reflex. My self-preservation instinct tells me it's better to obey her.

I can only watch helplessly as Sanyon picks up Asakura's knife from the ground and slowly makes her way toward the humanoid interface. I'm not sure what she wants to do but it's probably not going to work…

…and just as I expected, Sanyon suddenly stops mid-step. I can see the surprised look in her eyes. On the other hand, Asakura seems only pleased. She smiles like she heard a good joke and walks to Sanyon. She looks Sanyon directly in the face.

"Don't worry little girl. I'll make it quick."

With those words, Asakura takes back her knife from Sanyon's hand and with a theatrical gesture, stabs it into the left side Sanyon's chest. The knife dug deep and there's no doubt that it perforated Sanyon's heart. A slight trickle of blood flows from both the wound and Sanyon's mouth. I'm sure that if she could move, she would be screaming in pain on the ground by now. However, Asakura is not so merciful.

She twists the knife around, over and over, until she finally pulls it out. The knife gets loose with a sickening smack and blood starts gushing from the wound.

Give me a break already! I don't want to see any more blood for the rest of my (most likely short) life!

Asakura turns around to face me and slowly, deliberately licks the blood of the knife.

"Kyon-kun. I wasn't instructed to kill you but I wasn't instructed not to do so either."

Her creepy giggle rings inside my head again. I tug and pull and try to free myself from the wall but there's no way I'll be able to tear down those stakes. I close my eyes and prepare for the worst when I hear another giggle. It's not Asakura's so that means… no way.

I open my eyes again and my jaw drops down in amazement. Sanyon is still stuck mid-step, unable to move, blood gushes out from her open wound but she laughs. I can visibly see her body shake as her laugh get louder and louder. It seems like Asakura was caught by surprise as well since she immediately turned around and stared at the weird scene without moving.

"That's all?"

Sanyon finally stops laughing and effortlessly finishes her step.

"Such interesting powers you have and this is all you can do?"

Sanyon's voice is clearly mocking Asakura. The wound in the dark girl's body closed itself in a puff of black smoke. I couldn't see Asakura's face but if I could, I'm sure she's absolutely pale and speechless. At least, that's how I am right now.

It doesn't take long for Asakura to snap out of it and lunge at Sanyon. I expect a clash but the girl only stretches her hand towards Asakura and this time, it is Asakura who stops moving.

"I said that knife is a no-no."

A black glowing aura emits from Sanyon's hair and eyes. In addition, her hair starts to float in the air.

Asakura lifts off the ground and into the air. Her arms stretch apart and I hear a crunch, followed by Asakura's scream. The knife once again falls from Asakura's hand and her arms twist. Another crunch reaches my ears. Crack. Snap. Pop. I hear various sound coming from Asakura's body and with each new sound, her arms twist more and more. I can't watch anymore so I close my eyes but I'm unable to cover my ears. Snap. Crunch. Crack. With each sound, Asakura shrieks louder and louder.

"Why? Why does it hurt? I am not supposed to feel pain! So why does it hurt?"

Snap. Pop. Crack. Snap. Crunch. Pop. Snap. Crack.

Finally, the sounds stop but Asakura keeps on howling in pain. I dare to open my eyes. Asakura's hands are hanging down aimlessly. I look at Sanyon just in time to see her lower her hand and the glow around her hair and eyes disappears. At the same time, Asakura falls down with a nasty thump that evokes another inhuman scream. I see Sanyon's mouth twist into a cruel smile at that sound. She grabs Asakura's hair and yanks her head up.

"I'm sure you won't be able to use your arms for quite some time, now that I've grinded your bones to dust. What should I do to you now? What wonderful and painful torture can I think of? Hmm, let's see…"

Suddenly, Sanyon grabs her head and winces. She closes her eyes for a while and when she opens them again, the cruel smile disappears from her lips.

"Looks like my time is up. I could have picked a more amusing sacrifice but I guess you'll have to do."

And with those words, a bright flash that is already too familiar to me fills my vision.

When my sight returns to normal, I find myself in Nagato's apartment again. I'm sitting on the floor and there's no trace of the stakes that pinned me to the wall, not counting the holes in my clothing. I look around me but neither Asakura nor Sanyon and unfortunately not even Nagato is here.

Just like that, they're gone.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_This chapter might raise some questions which will hopefully be answered in the next interchapter. I hope you were able to enjoy the story sufficiently, even if you don't know the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise_.  
P.S. _Extra points for those who can find out how I created Sanyon's name. Hint: It's based off the name of one Higurashi no Naku Koro ni character._


End file.
